Dinner With The Family
by stillskies
Summary: [Complete, Sequel to Anniversary Gifts] Eiri's family wants to have dinner with Eiri and Shuichi, but Shuichi's family wants to meet their son's boyfriend? What's the solution? Invite them both to dinner, of course! ShxY, SuxMa, TaxR, ToxMi
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the cast of "Gravitation." Maki Murakami-sensei owns them. pout Ah… How I wish I owned them…

AN: This is a continuation of "Anniversary Gifts." While it's not necessary to read that beforehand, it would help you understand previous events, such as why Suguru is so nervous around Shuichi… grin

Dinner With the Family 

Monday morning was full of the regular chaos that always ensued at NG Studios. Even though BAD LUCK had already finished recording their sophomore CD, the members were still expected to be in the studio bright and early.

"WAHHH! STOP SHOOTING ME!"

Hiroshi Nakano and Suguru Fujisaki pressed themselves against the wall, both nursing cups of coffee as the lead singer, Shuichi Shindou, came running into the room, closely followed by K.

Hiro noticed with detached amazement as Shuichi managed to dodge the bullets that K was shooting at him. Giving a short nod to his manager, he took another sip of coffee.

"Come on, Shuichi! It's the only way to make sure you don't make any detours in the building!" K was grinning, holstering his beloved gun.The pink haired vocalist turned around, glaring daggers at the blonde American. K just shrugged it off, falling into a chair with an easy grace.

Deciding it was safe, Hiro and Suguru took their discarded seats again. Shuichi sighed angrily, but took a seat as well.

After a few minutes of silence, Shuichi began to fidget. He didn't know why he, Hiro, and Suguru were supposed to be here so early. Deciding that it was probably better to ask than to let his imagination take hold and scare him unnecessarily, he spoke. "Why do we have to be here, K? The CD is done, and our photo shoot isn't until four…"

The blonde man just grinned. Shuichi began to feel uneasy. Whenever K smiled that much, he knew that something bad was going to happen. Automatically, his mind began conjuring scenarios of what they could possibly be here for.

Before his imagination got too serious (he was currently imagining K telling them that he was quitting and Reiji was going to be their manager permanently, as well as their costume coordinator), K broke the silence.

"Seguchi-san wants to talk to you. In fact, he should be here," the blonde paused and looked at his watch. "Now."

The door opened, and in walked Tohma Seguchi, owner of NG Studios, synth player extraordinaire, and Eiri Yuki's brother-in-law from hell.

"Ah!" Tohma exclaimed. "So nice to see you all here, and on time, I might add." Tohma smirked. He was looking directly at Shuichi as he said this, and the pink haired vocalist did not miss it.

Reigning in his temper, Shuichi pleasantly asked, "What is it you need, Seguchi-san?" _There, _he thought. _I didn't sound like I'd rather kill him instead of sit here._

Tohma's smile grew. He knew that the boy didn't like him very much at the moment. _Well, _he thought, _I wouldn't like me much either if I were him._ "Well, Shindou-san, I have a favor to ask of you all."

Immediately, Hiro and Suguru looked at Shuichi. They both knew that Tohma and Shuichi weren't getting along, so why would Tohma ask them for a favor? More importantly, why not just go to his own band?

Hesitantly, Hiro voiced his thoughts. "Why us, Seguchi-san? Why not Nittle Grasper?"

Tohma looked at Hiro, that strange smile still on his face. "Well, Nakano-san, I figure that Shindou-san might object if Nittle Grasper were to perform this… task."

Shuichi, who was now glaring at Tohma, was getting sick of not knowing what he wanted. "What is it you want, Seguchi-san?" He noticed Hiro's look of warning, but didn't care much.

"Why, Shindou-san! Your voice sounds colder than usual. All I want is for you to record a song for me." Tohma's voice was sugar coated. Sweet and innocent. Everything Tohma Seguchi was not.

A cold ball formed in Shuichi's stomach. He had a funny feeling he knew what song it was that Tohma wanted him to record. Deciding it best to play stupid, he asked, "What song?"

Triumph shone in Tohma's eyes as he replied. "It's a song that Eiri-san wrote. I figured you'd want to record it, since it was, after all, written for you, Shindou-san."

Tohma had Shuichi trapped. If Shuichi were to record Eiri's song for him, then Eiri would get mad, but if Tohma were to record it, Eiri might think that Shuichi didn't care… Cautiously, he asked, "Does Eiri know that you're asking us to record his song?"

Tohma waved Shuichi's question away. "Of course! That was one of the stipulations of his recording it here in the first place! So, you'll record it, correct?"

Tohma's voice belied the confidence that he felt. Shuichi sighed. He'd rather die than allow Tohma to sing Eiri's song. "We'll do it."

"Splendid! You can begin recording in an hour. Until then, why don't you all relax?" With that, Tohma left.

Three pairs of eyes were focused on Shuichi as soon as the door closed. Biting his lip, the vocalist looked at his friends.

Hiro looked skeptical, as if he was sure that there was an ulterior motive. Suguru looked frantic, and K looked smug.

Silence reigned for what seemed like hours, but was really only just a few minutes. Finally, Hiro spoke. "What song, Shu?"

Smiling meekly at his best friend, he said, " Well, for our anniversary, Eiri wrote and recorded me a song… I didn't know that we were going to record it, or that Tohma had made that a stipulation… Eiri never said anything."

Suguru spoke next, an edge of hysteria in his voice. "What about the musical arrangements? What are we supposed to do about that? And do you even know the lyrics!"

K burst out laughing. "Don't worry, Fujisaki-kun. Tohma already has the arrangement ready. He'll be playing." At Shuichi's horrified look, he smiled. "I'm sure Shuichi here already knows the lyrics by heart, so relax."

The pink haired man licked his suddenly dry lips. Deciding to speak up, he said, "I know the lyrics already. That's no problem. But what is this about TOHMA playing! Why does HE have to play my Eiri's song!"

K shrugged.

Hiro, deciding that it was probably better to change the subject, racked his mind for a new topic. Suddenly, he looked at Suguru. "How was your date, Fujisaki-kun?"

Shuichi, who had been engaged in a shouting match with K (well, Shuichi was shouting while K was laughing hysterically), froze. Slowly turning his head to look at Suguru, he echoed Hiro. "Yeah, Fujisaki-kun. How was your date with my wonderful little sister?"

Suguru's eyes widened. He had been hoping to avoid this subject, content to let Shuichi and K argue until it was time to record. Noticing the narrowing of the vocalist's eyes, he stuttered, "It was f-f-fine. We h-had fun."

Shuichi smiled a creepy little smile. Suguru felt sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"Come to think of it, Fujisaki-kun," Shuichi began. "You never did call me back…"

Deciding it best to feign innocence, Suguru replied, "Oh, really? I must have forgot."

Tilting his head to the side, the lead singer said thoughtfully, "I couldn't get a hold of Maiko on Sunday, either. Do you know where she may have been?"

Suguru swallowed hard. Sweat began to leisurely trace a path down the side of his face. He knew where Maiko had been; she had been with him all day. Deciding it best not to let Shuichi know, he just shook his head.

"Hmm," was the vocalist's reply.

Wanting to divert attention from himself to something else, Suguru remembered that Hiro had a date that weekend as well. "How about your date, Nakano-san?" Suguru gave himself a mental clasp on the back. His voice had only been a little desperate.

Hiro smiled. "It was fine. Yuji showed up and ruined dinner, but things went really well after that. In fact, we went to the park on Sunday before she left."

Hiro noticed with satisfaction as Suguru's face paled. He had seen Maiko and Suguru at the park that day. Deciding to spare Suguru, for now, he continued to talk about his day with Ayaka, leaving out seeing Maiko and Suguru.

"Oh, Shu. Tatsuha said to tell you he'll see you Friday."

"What? Why?" Momentarily distracted from contemplating his sister and his band mate's relationship, he looked quizzically at Hiro.

Hiro shrugged, signifying that he had no clue what Tatsuha had been talking about. Deciding to ask Eiri about it when he got home, Shuichi shrugged it off.

He was about to ask Suguru more about his date with Maiko when K shot off a single shot. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" he shouted.

Grinning maniacally, K just said, "It's time to start recording!"

And so, the members of BAD LUCK began the circus that was their normal day at NG Studios.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"EIRI!" a cheerful voice chirped.

Running a hand through blonde hair, Eiri Yuki stood from where he had been sitting. He knew the voice, and knew that in five seconds, a pink bundle of energy would latch itself around his waist.

Sure enough, Shuichi Shindou turned the corner and bounded into Eiri's study, glomping to the novelist's waist. Eiri looked at his watch. _Hmm, _he thought. _Four seconds. He's getting quicker._

"Eiri! We added the song you wrote for me!" Eiri could practically see the hearts floating around his energetic lover's head.

Sighing, the blonde wrapped both arms around the vocalist's waist, silently pulling him closer (if that was possible) to Eiri's body. He could feel Shuichi relax in the embrace, and the blonde smiled.

"Did you, now?" Eiri formed a smirk on his face instead of the scowl that wanted to appear. What Eiri had thought that his brother-in-law had done out of kindness, he learned actually came with a price, and that price was having the song appear on BAD LUCK's new album as an extra track.

"Yup! And I sang it perfectly the first time!" Shuichi was squeezing Eiri tightly, and the novelist had to forcibly loosen his lover's arms from around his waist.

Leaning down, Eiri gave his little lover a chaste kiss on the lips. He heard Shuichi sigh, and he smiled into the kiss. Pulling away, he gently disentangled himself from the pink haired vocalist.

Eiri made his way to the kitchen, leaving a dazed Shuichi in his study. He was about to call to the smaller man when the sound of a phone stopped him.

There were very few people who knew the number to Eiri and Shuichi's apartment. As far as they knew, only Eiri's publisher, Tohma and Mika Seguchi, Tatsuha Uesugi, and Maiko Shindou had it. Looking warily at the caller id, the novelist debated internally the ramifications of answering.

Deciding that answering the phone was the lesser of two evils, Eiri clicked the "TALK" button on the cordless, and answered with a "Hello" that was only slightly annoyed.

"Hi to you, too, big bro."

Figuring that a conversation with his younger brother, Tatsuha, was best left short, Eiri decided to cut to the point. "What do you want, Tatsuha?"

At the mention of his younger brother's name, Eiri noticed Shuichi come out of his daze. Turning around and looking at the golden-eyed man, Shuichi quietly bounced to where Eiri stood. Mouthing _Is that Tatsuha? _to Eiri, the blonde man nodded. Shuichi smiled.

"Now, now, now, Eiri. You'd think that I only called when I wanted something."

Eiri could hear the smile in his brother's face, and mentally prepared himself for whatever it was his brother wanted. "That's because you only call when you want something."

The blonde noticed his lover starting to bounce out of the corner of his eye. Realizing that meant Shuichi was about to do something stupid, Eiri knew he had to try to hurry up the conversation, but Tatsuha kept talking.

"Anyway, Pops wants you to come home for dinner on Friday. He says, and I quote, 'I've waited long enough for that no good philandering son of mine to formally introduce me to that cross dressing brat, and I'm not waiting any longer!'" Tatsuha paused for breath, then continued. "So, dinner is at six o'clock, and you know that there is no way out, Eiri. If you try, Tohma and Mika are going to drag you here by your pretty blonde hair."

Growling, more so to warn Shuichi not to try anything while he was on the phone with is brother than out of frustration, Eiri responded to Tatsuha. "I can't make it there Friday."

"Do you want Mika and Tohma at your door? I mean, one of them is tough, but both of them? Sheesh…"

Knowing his brother was right, Eiri tried to think. He knew that there had to be a way to get out of this, but he just couldn't think. He couldn't drive to his father's temple because his car was in the shop after a severe accident on Sunday, and wouldn't be finished until Saturday. An idea formed, and he spoke without analyzing it. "Why don't you come here? We'll have dinner at my place."

Tatsuha was quiet, as if processing what his brother had just said. Realizing that Eiri must be either distracted or insane, he quickly agreed. "Alright. I'll let Pops know, and tell Mika of the venue change. We'll see you at your place Friday night at six! Bye bro!"

Eiri stared in horror the phone, the dial tone whining softly. _Did I just suggest they come HERE for dinner?_

The novelist noticed his lover staring at him with a confused look on his face. "Ne, what's wrong, Eiri?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied softly. "By the way, you don't have plans Friday night, do you?"

Shuichi tilted his head to the side, thinking. _Do I have plans on Friday? No, I don't think so…_ Looking at his lover, he nodded "no."

He heard Eiri mumble "That's good" before he wandered off into the kitchen. Deciding he wanted to know more, he followed.

Shuichi watched as his blonde lover pulled out a can of Pepsi from the fridge. The vocalist bit his lip. Eiri never drank soda unless something bad happened. Walking up behind the novelist, he gently slipped his arms around his waist, hugging Eiri from behind.

Standing on tiptoe and placing his chin on the taller man's shoulder, Shuichi asked, "What did Tatsuha want?"

He felt Eiri take a deep breath and let it out slowly before responding. "Father wants us to come to dinner on Friday. I told Tatsuha we can't because the car is in the shop-"

Shuichi cut Eiri off before he could finish. "I said I was sorry, Eiri!" he whined. "I didn't see those two cars, honest!"

He noticed his lover grimace at the mention of the "accident" that had put his beloved car in the shop. Shuichi's ears still rung when he remembered how Eiri had chewed him out, swearing that he was never, ever, letting Shuichi behind the wheel of his car again, license or no license.

Of course, Shuichi didn't have his license, and Eiri had been teaching him to drive, so the poor vocalist was reamed once more after the novelist had finished the insurance claim, and, realizing that his insurance wouldn't cover any of the three cars in the accident because of Shuichi's lack of a license.

"I told you, it's fine," Eiri said shortly. "Anyway, I suggested that they come here for dinner."

Shuichi's eyes widened. His lover never got along with his family, especially his father. Knowing now why there was a can of Pepsi in his lover's hand, Shuichi squeezed him gently, trying to comfort him.

_At least I know why Tatsuha told Hiro he'd see me Friday,_ the younger man thought. Laying a soft kiss on his lover's shoulder, Shuichi was relieved when Eiri relaxed in his arms.

"It's not so bad, Eiri." Shuichi noticed the ghost of a smile on his lover's face at the use of his first name.

"I guess you're right, Shuichi," the novelist responded. Turning around, he wrapped his arms around his little lover. "Are you okay with it, though?"

Shuichi tilted his head a little, thinking about it. "I like Tatsuha, and I don't know your father well enough to not like him."

Eiri didn't miss the fact that Shuichi hadn't included Mika and Tohma. Deciding that he better let the pink haired man know that they were also attending, Eiri said, "Mika and Tohma will be here, too."

Shuichi stiffened, and, Eiri was discouraged to note, not in a good way. _Or maybe it is a good thing he didn't stiffen at the thought of Tohma or my sister… Now I'm just confusing myself, _Eiri thought.

"Mika-san and Seguchi-san? Do they have to come?"

Eiri heard the edge of a whine in his lover's voice. Knowing that the whine usually precedes a full out tantrum, Eiri kissed him.

Shuichi momentarily forgot about what it was he was whining about. All that mattered was the man in front of him, kissing him. Moving his hands to wrap them around the golden-eyed man's neck, Shuichi pulled his lover closer.

A wet flick on Shuichi's lower lip made him whimper low in his throat, and he felt the slight smile that graced his lover's lips at the reaction. Opening his mouth, he invited Eiri's tongue to explore.

Eiri never got over how sweet his Shuichi tasted. He tasted of strawberry pocky and something that was uniquely him. Caressing his lover's tongue with his own, he coaxed the younger man's tongue to follow his. The two tongues twisted and darted in each other's mouths lazily, exploring crevices and depths that had been explored many times before, but could never get enough of.

Eiri pulled away first, noting his feet were cold and wet with detachment. He looked at Shuichi, whose lips were red and puffy. His eyes were still half closed, what he cold see of the violet orbs were darkened amethyst. Smiling softly, he laid a chaste kiss on Shuichi's red lips, and then looked down at the floor.

There was a dark liquid beginning to puddle around their feet. His forgotten Pepsi can lie on its side next to the puddle, the amber liquid dripping from it.

Deciding he should clean it up, he moved away from Shuichi, who was still dazed. "You need to move, brat. I have to clean up the spilt soda."

Smiling like an idiot, Shuichi stepped out of the puddle, trailing soda on the clean white tile of the kitchen floor. Realizing his mistake, Eiri said, "Stop moving. You're trailing soda on my floor."

Shuichi stopped, eyes still dazed. Grabbing the linen towel on the counter, Eiri wiped his feet clean of the sticky soda. Sidestepping the puddle, he made his way to his lover and did the same to his feet. When he was done, he shooed Shuichi, intent upon cleaning his floor.

The pink haired man was smiling as he made his way to the bathroom to wash his feet. He had almost made it there when his cell phone rang.

Shuichi had a very cool cell phone. He was able to assign ring tones to certain people, so everyone in his address book had a unique ring tone. Now, he could only assign twenty-five people, but that was okay. He only had Eiri (both house and cell), Hiro (house and cell), Suguru (house), K (cell, although the man never used it), Maiko (cell), his parents, and NG Studios on his cell phone, anyway.

Recognizing the ring tone as Maiko's (it was the theme song to an American TV show called "Tales From the Crypt"), he rushed to answer it.

Grabbing his phone out of his jacket pocket on the couch, he hurriedly clicked the "Talk" button. "Hello?"

Sounds of sniffling and a soft hiccup answered him. Deciding to try again, he gently called, "Maiko-chan?"

More sniffling answered him, along with a small sob. His free hand began to form a fist. What was wrong with his sister?

"What's wrong, Maiko? It's okay; just tell me what's wrong. Aniki will make it better."

"Shuichi, I b-broke it."

The vocalist was confused. "Broke what, Maiko?"

More sniffling. Trying to keep his worry in check, he patiently waited for Maiko to continue.

"Suguru-kun… He's… He's…" She broke off, a loud sob coming through the receiver.

Shuichi sighed. Maiko was in no state to talk. He needed to calm her down, and he couldn't do that over the phone. "Are you at home?"

A stuttered yes was her response.

"Okay, Maiko. Hold tight. I'm on my way." He heard her soft okay, then hung up. Calling out to Eiri, he let his lover know he was going to his parents' house for a little while.

Running to the bathroom to rinse his feet, he ran to the bedroom he and Eiri shared for a new pair of socks, remembering his soda drenched socks that lay discarded in the kitchen.

Pulling on his socks and shoes, the vocalist was out the door and on his way to his sister's in no time.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shuichi opened the front door of the Shindou residence and was greeted with the sound of the TV from the family room. Not seeing his parents anywhere, the vocalist began to quietly creep up the stairs, hoping to avoid seeing his parents.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see them. It was just that every time he came, his mother and father would always bring up Eiri, and how they wanted to meet him. Shuichi knew that his parents were right, that they should be able to meet him, but he wasn't exactly sure that his lover would be open to the idea.

Tip toeing towards his sister's room, he quietly knocked on the door before entering.

Maiko sat on her bed, cuddling a porcelain doll that was missing its head. A glance at the shards of porcelain on the floor told Shuichi where the doll's head was. _So, that's what she broke, _he thought.

One mystery solved, he had only to figure out how Suguru fit into this. Sitting on the bed next to his sister, he put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

At the contact, Maiko turned, seeing her brother and began to sob hysterically. All Shuichi could make out was "Suguru-kun" and "angry" and "didn't mean to." Taking this to mean that Suguru and her had gotten into a fight, in which she threw the doll and it broke, he patted his sister's shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Maiko. I'll beat some sense into that brat. I knew he was no good for you, " he said consolingly.

Maiko looked at her brother, tears shining in her hazel eyes. "What do you mean? Why are you going to beat him up?"

Shuichi stared at his sister incredulously. "You got into a fight with him and threw your doll at him! He had to have done something really stupid, so therefore, he needs to get his ass kicked!"

Anger began to flare in Maiko's eyes. "That's not what happened, you idiot!" she yelled. "Weren't you even listening to me!"

Disbelief settled on the vocalist's face. "What do you mean, was I listening? Of course I was! How else would I know what happened?"

Maiko rolled her eyes, a few stray tears falling down her cheeks. "I just told you, that's not what happened. You never listen to me!"

Shuichi was confused. He could have sworn that's what she had just told him, but she was yelling at him as though he had gotten it wrong. "If that's not what happened, then you're blubbering made me misunderstand."

His younger sister's face became a mask of rage. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BLUBBERING!" she shrieked. "I CALL YOU FOR COMFORT, AND YOU COME OVER HERE AND… and…" Suddenly, she stopped.

Shuichi noted with dismay that she was about to start crying again. Sure enough, the tears began to flow faster, and soon Maiko was sobbing.

Releasing a breath, the pink-haired man decided to try again. "I'm sorry, Maiko. Try explaining again. I promise I'll listen."

After a few minutes of sobbing, Maiko got herself under control again. "I was talking to Suguru-kun, who was, by the way, freaked out because he thinks you're going to beat him up." At her brother's blush, Maiko continued. "You hurt him and I'll hurt you, Shuichi."

She heard her brother snort. "You can't hurt me, Maiko. You're too weak."

Maiko smiled. "Oh, but I can, aniki," she said pleasantly. "I won't make you lunch for a year. "

Shuichi's face paled, and Maiko knew she had him. Although she only brought him lunch once a week, she knew he looked forward to it. She knew that he realized that if she didn't bring him lunch, he wouldn't see her, and that was something that her older brother didn't like at all.

"One little scratch on him, Shu-chan, and you won't get lunch." Noticing her brother about to beg, Maiko glared. "Begging will do you no good."

Shuichi pouted and Maiko smiled, bringing her hands closer to her stomach. Remembering the weight in her hands, she recalled why her brother was here. "Anyway, I got of the phone with him, and I was getting off my bed when Sakura fell." At her brother's blank look, she held up the broken porcelain doll. "Suguru-kun gave her to me on our first date. I'm afraid he'll be mad at me because I broke it."

The vocalist looked at his sister. She looked lost sitting there, holding a broken doll, tear tracks still fresh on her face. Sighing, he pulled his sister to him. "He won't be mad. He'll understand."

After comforting his sister and promising countless times that he wouldn't hurt Suguru, Maiko and Shuichi started talking about other things.

Maiko told him about her and Suguru's dates, and Shuichi told her about his and Eiri's weekend. He was happy that Maiko was back to her old self, laughing about his driving lessons and chastising him for not being more careful.

Soon, Shuichi realized that he had better go. He had learned from Maiko that their parents had gone to a movie, and he wanted to be gone before they came back. Maiko walked Shuichi downstairs in time to see his parents come through the door.

Shuichi froze. He knew there was no escape. His parents had already seen him. Smiling weakly, Shuichi said, "Hi Mom, hi Dad."

Shuichi noticed his mom smile largely. He knew what was coming before she even said it.

"So, Shuichi, did you bring your boyfriend with you?"

Shuichi's smile faded. With a sigh, he answered his mom. "No, Mom. Eiri has work to do."

Mrs. Shindou's eyes got wide, and Shuichi could see the tears beginning to form. His dad, smart man that he was, edged out of the entryway unnoticed.

"You're boyfriend can't make time to meet your parents? Three years, Shuichi. Three years!" Tears were streaming down her face. "You didn't even tell us! We had to find out on TV!"

Shuichi sighed again. His mother always said the same thing every time she saw him. He felt guilty for not telling her about Eiri before, but every time he came home, she rubbed the salt in the wound. Worse yet, he was running out of excuses for not introducing his mother and father to Eiri.

"Shuichi, you and Eiri Yuki-san are coming to dinner this Friday. No ifs, ands, or buts."

The violet-eyed man cringed. His mother's voice brooked no argument. He was about to agree, thinking of various ways to convince Eiri to go, when he remembered that Eiri's family was coming to dinner Friday night.

"Sorry, Mom. We'd love to, but Eiri's family is coming to dinner at our place Friday."

He knew the moment he spoke that he had said the wrong thing. His mother's tears, which had vanished moments before, came back full force. A sob escaped his mother's lips.

"You'll have dinner with his family, but you won't have dinner with your own? You haven't had dinner with us since you moved out." Falling to the floor, his mother continued. "Where did I go wrong? I gave you life, and you treat me like this? Why, Shuichi, why?"

Shuichi knew his mother well enough to know that she wasn't really serious, that it was just one of her mood swings. Even so, it hurt him to see her doing this because of him.

Without thinking, Shuichi spoke. "Why don't you, Dad, and Maiko come to dinner at our place Friday night, instead? You can meet Eiri and his family then." Once again, Shuichi mentally slapped himself. Hard.

He knew that Eiri was already regretting inviting his family to dinner, so how was he going to take the addition of Shuichi's family? The pink haired man was beginning to get a headache.

He looked at his mother with wary eyes. She was smiling beautifully, pride shining in her eyes. _Another mood swing,_ Shuichi thought. Maiko looked as though she wanted to laugh at him. She knew that her brother was going to get hell for this, but she also knew that Shuichi wanted to please their mother.

"That would be wonderful, Shuichi. What time shall we be there?"

Shuichi racked his brain, trying to remember what time Eiri had said his family was coming. Realizing that his lover hadn't mentioned a time, he sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow with the time."

His mother nodded, walking up to him. Without warning, Shuichi was wrapped in a big hug. "I'm so happy that I'll finally be able to meet you're boyfriend, Shuichi."

Hugging his mother back, he whispered, "So am I, Mom." _But, _he silently added, _how happy is Eiri going to be?_

AN: Woohoo! Done! Wow… This is long… Oh well. That's good, right? Well, let me know what you think! Review! Mucho thanks to my wonderful beta, Neko Kate-chan. Her stuff is awesome, so you should go read it now! Well, after you review this, that is. grin


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Jumping right into it, so I'll see you at the end!

Shuichi opened the door to the apartment he shared with his boyfriend quietly. Taking off his shoes and placing them next to Eiri's, he quietly tiptoed through the living room and towards his lover's office.

Noticing the light on under the door, Shuichi breathed. Moving on, he quickly and quietly made his way to their bedroom. Opening the door, he entered the room.

The bed wasn't made, black silk sheets offset by the blood red comforter. Pillows were tossed haphazardly on the mattress. Shuichi frowned. Knowing his lover never left the room in disarray, he knew that Eiri must have already been to bed.

Looking at the small clock on the bedside table, he let out a small squeak of surprise. It was already 11:29pm. Shuichi bit his lip. He knew that Eiri wasn't going to be pleased. Realizing that his lover probably couldn't sleep, the pink haired man decided to grab his lover from his office.

With a sigh, Shuichi made his way back through the hall to where he knew his boyfriend to be. With a soft knock, the vocalist opened the door.

Eiri was sitting at the desk, staring blankly at his laptop. The window was open, and the cloying smell of tobacco was heavy on the air. A glance at the ashtray next to the laptop showed Shuichi that at least four cigarettes had been smoked, and there was another one in his lover's hand.

Walking over to where the blonde sat, gently plucking the cigarette from between Eiri's fingers. The blonde tensed as Shuichi leaned into his back, bringing his lips to the novelist's ear to whisper, "I thought you quit smoking, Eiri."

Shuichi knew the instant his lover recognized the voice. The blonde relaxed, allowing himself to rest partly on the back of the chair, and partially against Shuichi's chest. "When did I say that, Shu?"

The pink haired man propped his arms on the back of the chair, cigarette still in his hand, and perched his chin on the blonde's shoulder. "On Sunday, when I was driving. You said, 'I swear to God, Shu, if I get out of this alive, I'll do whatever you want.'" Shuichi smirked. There had been several things running through his mind when he'd heard Eiri utter those words. "I said that you should quit and you said okay."

He felt more than he heard Eiri laugh. "Do you really want me to quit?"

Shuichi stubbed out the cigarette that was still clutched in his hand. "I really do."

Eiri sighed, turning around in the chair that that he faced his lover. Shuichi's violet eyes were peering into his golden ones, expression serious. Leaning up, he gently kissed his lover.

The blonde pulled away first, whispering, "For you, Shu, I'll try." He noticed his lover begin to pout, so, instead of listening to whatever it was that the vocalist was going to say, Eiri pulled the younger man into his lap, and kissed him again.

The novelist gently nipped at his lover's lower lip, silently asking for him to open. Shuichi did not disappoint, immediately opening to allow Eiri's tongue entrance. The older man began to gently caress his younger lover's tongue with his own, eliciting a low moan from the younger man. Eiri swallowed the moan greedily, mind already trying to find another way to make his young lover moan again.

Shuichi's hands, which had been clasped around Eiri's neck, began to wander lower. Running pale hands up and down the silk of the novelist's pajama top, Shuichi's hands found the buttons. Nimble fingers began undoing each button, until there was a nice expanse of pale flesh for Shuichi's hands to explore.

Eiri moaned as Shuichi's fingers found his nipples. Pulling away from the kiss, Shuichi moved his lips to his lover's left ear and began suckling at the lobe. Another moan was heard when Shuichi gently bit the lobe, and the vocalist smiled.

The novelist stood up abruptly, catching the vocalist before he could fall to the floor. Placing his hands on the smaller man's waist, Eiri began to slowly run his hands up his lover's sides, taking the shirt Shuichi was wearing with him. Shuichi stood there, hands still on the blonde's chest, when Eiri gently began to pull the shirt up. Removing his hands from the novelist's chest, he allowed Eiri to pull the shirt up over his head, baring his chest to his lover.

Eiri smiled as he took in the sight of the pink haired man's bare chest. Laying a gentle kiss on Shuichi's shoulder, he slowly moved his lips up, running his hands over the skin he had exposed.

Shuichi tilted his head to the side, allowing his lover better access to his throat. Gently, so as not to distract Eiri from his actions, Shuichi pushed off his lover's pajama top, allowing it to float gracefully to the floor.

The blonde pulled Shuichi closer to him, gently grinding his groin against the younger man's. He heard his lover gasp seconds before he felt the pink haired man's hands travel down his waist to play with hem of his pajama bottoms.

Mind clouded by the passion that was mounting in his body, Eiri had enough sense to move Shuichi and himself from the study to their room. Picking up his smaller lover, he carried him out into the hall, his lips never leaving Shuichi's neck.

The vocalist had to move his hands from his lover's waistline to his neck to keep from falling, but as soon as Eiri set him back down on the floor in their room, Shuichi's hands were right back on the hem, tugging them over his lover's slender hips.

Eiri hissed as his erection was freed from the pajama bottoms, quickly stepping out of the pool that his bottoms had made around his feet. He watched as his lover's gaze traveled his body in the pale moonlight. He saw Shuichi lick his lips, and suddenly Eiri was on him, catching his lips in a passionate kiss.

It was uncomfortable for Eiri, who was completely naked, to be so close to his lover, who still wore jeans. Deciding that Shuichi would look much better without the offending article of clothing, Eiri moved his hands to the top button on his lover's pants. Unsnapping the button, he felt Shuichi unconsciously thrust his hips forward, body aching for contact.

Shuichi's eyes were closed, head tilted back, as Eiri slowly unzipped the zipper. He pushed the jeans down his lover's thighs, hands moving back up to free his lover from his restraining boxers.

After divesting Shuichi of the last of his clothes, Eiri allowed his eyes to roam the lithe body in front of him. He knew that the vocalist's body was perfect, but it still entranced him every time he saw it. Moving forward, Eiri rubbed his erection against Shuichi's, causing both men to gasp in pleasure at the contact.

Shuichi couldn't wait any longer. Eiri stood in front of him, the bed behind him. Smiling suggestively, Shuichi placed one hand on his lover's broad shoulder, and gently pushed.

Eiri fell onto the bed, bouncing slightly as he made contact with the mattress. He had no time to think, however, as Shuichi crawled up his body and straddled him.

**CUT SCENE...**

The force of Eiri's orgasm triggered Shuichi's, as well. Crying out, "Eiri!" as he came, the vocalist shot his essence onto his lover's belly.

Shuichi collapsed on top of Eiri, his essence sticking him to his lover. He felt arms wrap around his waist, and he heard his lover whisper, "I love you, Shuichi."

The pink haired man yawned, suddenly sleepy. Situating himself more comfortably on his lover, he whispered, "I love you, too, Eiri."

The novelist moved him and his lover higher up on the bed, so that the blonde's feet weren't hanging over. Without letting go of the young man sleeping in his arms, Eiri grabbed a handful of sheets and blankets, and placed it over the two of them. With a contented sigh, he kissed Shuichi on the forehead, and drifted off to sleep.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shuichi awoke the next morning to find himself comfortably warm. Wiggling a little, trying to snuggle lower into the blankets. Suddenly, he noticed the bed begin to slowly rise and fall. Biting back a scream, he looked down at what he was lying on, and met golden eyes.

The pink haired man suddenly realized that he had fallen asleep atop his lover. Smiling sheepishly, Shuichi started to roll off when he felt a tugging on his stomach. Remembering that they hadn't cleaned up after they had made love the night before, the vocalist peeled himself off his lover and rolled onto the bed.

Eiri wrapped his arms around Shuichi, pulling him close to his body, laying a gentle kiss on the younger man's temple. "Don't you have to be at the studio?"

Shuichi turned around so he could look at Eiri. "What time is it?"

"10:43am" was the reply, but it wasn't from his lover.

Slowly turning his head to look at the door, Shuichi confirmed his nightmare. His manager, K, stood in the doorway, one of his many guns in hand pointed at Shuichi's head. Letting out a loud yelp, Shuichi dove under the covers, huddling against his lover's legs.

"Oh, Shuichi!" K called out in a singsong voice. "Time to rise and shine! You don't want to bleed all over Yuki-san's sheets, do you?"

"EIRI! DON'T LET HIM SHOOT ME!" he yelled from beneath the blankets.

The blonde novelist sighed, the looked at K. "You are not going to shoot the brat, is that clear? He will be ready in fifteen minutes, so go wait in the living room, if you must stay." With that, the novelist reached under the blankets, and, grabbing a fistful of pink hair, pulled Shuichi out. "Shower. Now."

"But Eiri…" Shuichi whined.

Eiri kissed him, effectively shutting him up. Pulling away, he said, "It took me two days to get the last hole fixed that K put in the ceiling. I don't want a repeat."

Shuichi looked towards the door, thankful that his manager had already left. With a sigh, the vocalist climbed out of bed, grabbed some random clothes, and went into the bathroom to take a shower.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shuichi was showered, dressed, and out of the house in fifteen minutes, just as Eiri had promised his lover's manager. Deciding that he, too, needed a shower, the blonde leisurely got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

The bathroom was still warm from his lover's shower, and Eiri smiled. Turning on the water, Eiri grabbed a towel from under the sink and placed it on the towel rack for when he got out.

Stepping under the warm spray, the novelist cleaned himself off before washing his hair. Blindly reaching towards the shampoos, he grabbed Shuichi's by mistake. It wasn't until the bathroom smelled strongly of strawberry that Eiri had realized what he had done. Shrugging it off, he rinsed the shampoo out, and followed it with his lover's conditioner.

After he was clean, he turned off the water and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around his waist. Walking into his bedroom, he carefully picked out an outfit to wear for the day. After dressing and drying his blonde locks, he went into his study and powered on his laptop.

He had just opened up his saved word document to continue on with his novel when the phone rang. With a sigh, Eiri got up and made his way to the cordless that was in the living room.

He had clicked talk before he had checked the caller ID, and after a gruff "hello," regretted it.

"Eiri, what is this I hear about us coming to your place for dinner Friday? Wasn't it you who said that you'd never invite us over in a million years?"

The blonde squeezed his eyes shut at the sound of his sister's voice. He should have known that he would hear from her sooner or later. After all, it wasn't every day that he invited his family over to his house for dinner, much less anything else.

After several minutes of listening to Mika question him, he cut her off. "Look, Mika, we're having dinner here. My car won't be out of the shop until Saturday, and I'm not catching a ride with you and Tohma. I'll kill one of you by the end of the trip. Besides, the brat has work that day, and he'll get home around five. We won't make it there in time, so it makes more sense to have it here."

There was a stunned silence. Finally, Mika responded, "Wow. That's the most I've heard you say in ages, Eiri."

He heard his sister laugh, and he growled into the receiver. "Is there anything else, Mika? Or did you just call to annoy me?"

Mika's laughter died down, but unfortunately, not completely. There was still a hint of amusement in her voice when she responded. "Now, now, Eiri. Why would I call to annoy you? I was just making sure Tatsuha wasn't pulling my leg. Now that I know he wasn't, I'll leave you in peace until Friday." She paused, and Eiri thought that the conversation was over. He had thought too soon. "Shindou-kun is going to be there isn't he?"

Eiri was instantly on guard. She had to know what the whole reason for this dinner was, and her innocent voice was making him wary. "Yes, Mika, he'll be here."

The blonde was sure that he heard his older sister smile. "Good. I have a present for him. I'll see you on Friday, then, Eiri." With that, she hung up.

The novelist looked at the phone. He didn't know what his sister had planned, but he knew that he wasn't going to like it. Mika never gave presents. Especially to Shuichi. The beginnings of a headache began to pulse in his skull.

Deciding that he was worrying for nothing, the blonde man went to the kitchen to grab some aspirin. Filling a glass of water, he swallowed the two pills, chasing it with the clear liquid. After placing the cup in the sink, he went back to his study to continue his writing.

_I'm worrying for nothing. Mika won't do anything bad to him… As much as she acts otherwise, she has a soft spot for him. She's not Tohma. _

His thoughts didn't help him much, and he resigned himself to an afternoon of worry.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shuichi and Hiro were sitting in one of the waiting rooms of a TV studio. Suguru was in wardrobe, arguing with the staff over his outfit.

"So, what do you think I should do, Hiro?" the vocalist asked his best friend.

Hiro cocked his head to the side, replaying everything that Shuichi had just told him. He wasn't sure what to tell his friend, but he knew that if Shuichi didn't tell Yuki-san, and the Shindous showed up, unannounced, it wouldn't bode well for his pink haired friend. "You should just let it casually drop into conversation, I suppose. I mean, there really isn't any good way to break it to him."

Shuichi looked at Hiro, and the guitarist could see tears shining in the smaller man's eyes. "But, Hiro, Eiri already doesn't want his family to come to dinner. What's he going to do when I tell him my family, whom he's never even met, is coming?"

A slow smile began to crawl onto Hiro's face. "I think I have an idea, Shu. You say he's never met your family?" Shuichi nodded. "And you've met his, correct?" Another nod. "Then play the pity card."

Shuichi looked at Hiro stupidly. "The what card?"

"Pity, Shuichi. The pity card. You've met his family, but he's never met yours. If he has a problem with it, just say something along those lines."

The pink haired vocalist looked skeptically at his best friend. Hiro had never let him down, but this… It seemed kind of faulty. He was just about to question his friend further when Suguru re-entered the room

"Can you believe what they're making me wear?"

Shuichi and Hiro both looked at Suguru. He was wearing red leather pants and a black tank top that was strategically slashed around the synth player's stomach. His hair was messy, strongly resembling Shuichi's hair in the morning after he'd just woken up, and the make up department had put kohl eyeliner around the younger man's jade green eyes.

"You look good, Fujisaki-kun. What's your problem?" Hiro was confused. He and Shuichi were wearing similar outfits, except the colors were different. Hiro wore black leather pants and a purple tank top, and Shuichi wore purple leather pants and a red tank top.

"WHAT'S WRONG?" Suguru shrieked. "WE LOOK LIKE WHORES! DOESN'T THAT MATTER TO YOU?"

Shuichi pondered this. He thought that they all looked fine. He needed a way to get Suguru to calm down… Suddenly, he was picturing his sister's room. There were BAD LUCK posters all around, each picturing himself and Hiro in similar outfits. He knew what to do.

"Maiko likes these outfits. She has posters all over her walls of me and Hiro in outfits just like this…" He noticed that the boy's ears had perked up at the mention of Maiko. Deciding to take it one step further, he casually added, "I think she's going to watch the show today. At least, she mentioned last night that she was."

He knew he had Suguru snagged. The mere hope that Maiko was going to watch the show and would like the outfits had calmed the emerald haired boy down. "Alright, then, what are we waiting for? We're on in ten minutes!"

Hiro smiled at Shuichi. Leave it to the vocalist to put things in perspective. Standing up from the couch that he had been sitting on, Hiro stretched. Shuichi followed suit, standing and stretching beside the guitarist. After a minute or so, the three members of BAD LUCK went to the green room to await their cue.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shuichi came home to find Eiri in the kitchen, cooking dinner. He knew that his lover had heard him come in, if not for the prerequisite "EIRI!" that the vocalist always shouted, than the fact that Shuichi was now glomped to his waist should've clued the novelist in.

It did. "I'm cooking, brat. Leave me alone."

Normally, the pink haired man would scream something along the lines of "EIRI! YOU'RE SO MEAN!" and then proceed to cry, but Shuichi had heard the warmth in his lover's voice, so instead, he rose on tiptoe and gave his lover a kiss on the cheek, and left.

Shuichi was in the study, trying to find a good rhythm for the song he had just composed when Eiri called him for dinner. Synth forgotten, the vocalist ran to the kitchen and took his seat, ready to eat.

Eiri had made his lover's favorite, steak and fried rice. There was strawberry shortcake for desert, but he didn't tell Shuichi that. If he had, the younger man would have scarffed down his food to get to the desert.

Shuichi gave thanks for the food, and the two began to eat in silence.

The vocalist was busy trying to find a way to broach dinner this Friday when Eiri spoke. "What time do you get off work Friday?"

Uttering a silent thanks to whoever was listening that he hadn't had to bring it up, Shuichi answered his lover's question. "Five o'clock. Why?"

The pink-haired man held his breath, hoping that Eiri would continue on the track they were on, and not just give his typical "no reason" response. Shuichi was not disappointed.

"Father and the rest of them will be here at six. I would like it if you were here as well to greet them, that way I won't be tempted to kill them."

Shuichi smiled. "Don't worry, Eiri, I'll be here." _Well, now's a good a time as any, _the vocalist thought. "Umm, Eiri?"

Hearing the hesitancy in his lover's voice, the blonde looked up from his food, cocking an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"You wouldn't mind if… threemorepeoplecamefordinnerwouldyou?"

Eiri stared at his lover, trying to process what he had just asked. Coming to the conclusion that it was easier to just ask his boyfriend, he said, "Huh?"

Taking a deep breath, Shuichi repeated his question. "Would you mind if three more people came to dinner?"

Shuichi bit his lip as he waited for his lover to respond. He watched as the blonde put down his fork, and just stared at him. Shuichi stared back.

"Why do you ask, Shuichi?" Eiri's voice was calm, no trace of anger. Shuichi relaxed slightly.

"Well, my parents haven't met you, and they wanted you to come to dinner this Friday, but I let it slip that we were having dinner with your family, and then my mom started to cry, and I didn't know what to do so I invited her, Dad, and Maiko to dinner on Friday." Shuichi took in a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

Eiri closed his eyes. _Shuichi's family? Here? With my family? _Eiri thought. _It would probably serve as amusement, and it can't be as bad as my imagination is making it… Besides, he's right. I haven't introduced myself to his family… _The novelist sighed. "Fine. I don't mind. Just keep Maiko away from my stuff. Last time she was here, my brush went missing."

Shuichi smiled gratefully at his lover. "Thank you, Eiri. I'll call Mom after dinner to let her know what time to be here."

The blonde just nodded, silently going back to his food. His mind, though, wasn't silent. It was racing and filling his mind with images of what could potentially happen. Shaking his head to dispel the images, he mentally chanted, _Nothing bad will happen._

He just hoped that he was right.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Shuichi finished his dinner and rinsed his plate. Letting Eiri know that he'd be right back, he grabbed the cordless and went into the study. Dialing his parents' number, he waited for someone to answer.

"Hello, Shindou residence. Maiko speaking."

Shuichi smiled as soon as he heard his sister's voice. "Hey Maiko, it's Shuichi. Is Mom there?"

"Nope. She went to the store. Why, what's up, big brother?"

Shuichi smiled at the worry he heard in his little sister's voice. "Nothing. I was just going to let her know what time dinner is on Friday."

He heard his sister squeal. "You mean, we're actually going? I finally get to meet Eiri Yuki-san?"

Remembering what Eiri had told him, he said, "Maiko, you can't bug Eiri while you're here, and you can't take any of his stuff." There was a pause. Knowing his sister was going to play innocent, he said, "He noticed the brush, Maiko."

"But, how? I mean, he has seven different brushes, and you said he used that one the least!"

Shuichi smiled at his sister's shock. "I told you, Eiri has every possession catalogued in his mind. Nothing gets by him."

He could hear his younger sister pout. "Fine, I'll be good. At least I can finally meet him. I wonder if he'll get me an autograph…"

The vocalist shook his head at what his sister was saying. "Maiko, you have his brush, a cigarette butt, strands of his hair, and hand written notes he threw away. Why on earth do you need his autograph?"

His sister's voice was full of shocked indignation. "Every fan needs an autograph of their idol. I mean, you hang out with Sakuma-san, and you still got his autograph."

Shuichi couldn't argue with her on that. He did have Ryuichi's autograph, as well as various other mementos the lead singer of Nittle Grasper had bestowed upon him. Deciding to change the subject, Shuichi asked, "Did you see our live performance and interview on TV today, Maiko?"

He spent the next half an hour listening to his sister gush about how hot Suguru looked in that outfit, and whether or not there was going to be any photo shoots with him in similar outfits. Eiri had come to check on him twice, shaking his head every time Shuichi smiled weakly at him.

Finally, Maiko stopped chattering about the TV spot. "I called him today and told him I accidentally broke the doll he gave me."

Knowing that this was a delicate matter, at least, to his sister, he asked, "What did Fujisaki-kun say?"

"He said that accidents happen, and he'll get me a new one!"

Telling her that he was glad it all worked out, Shuichi said goodbye and hung up the phone. Sighing with relief, Shuichi exited the study and made his way to the living room, where Eiri sat.

Eating strawberry shortcake. Without Shuichi.

"EIRI! Why didn't you tell me there was strawberry shortcake!"

The novelist winced at the shrill note in his lover's voice. "I tried, but you were talking to your sister. There's a piece for you in the kitchen."

Shuichi didn't need to be told twice. He dashed into the kitchen, grabbed his desert and a fork, and ran back to the living room, flopping on the couch where his lover sat.

Smiling at Eiri, Shuichi dug into his desert. The blonde watched in horrified fascination at how quickly his lover finished of the strawberry treat. When Shuichi looked up again, there was a dab of whip cream on his nose.

Wondering how that had gotten there, Eiri leaned over and licked it off. When Shuichi only stared at him, the novelist casually said, "You had whip cream on your nose."

The vocalist smiled, placing his empty plate next to his lover's half eaten desert. Snuggling up against him, Shuichi placed his head on Eiri's shoulder, savoring the moment. He smiled even more when Eiri wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer.

They sat like that for a while, watching TV, until Shuichi began to fall asleep. Stifling a yawn, Shuichi looked up at his lover with sleepy eyes. "I'm tired, Eiri."  
The blonde just smiled softly at his young lover. "Then go to bed."

A yawn escaped Shuichi's mouth. "But I want you to go with me," he whined sleepily.

Eiri placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his lover's nose. Pulling back, he said, "Fine, let's go then."

The novelist stood first, extending a hand to Shuichi to help him up. The vocalist took the hand with a sleepy smile. They walked hand in hand down the hall to their bedroom.

Shuichi and Eiri both changed into their pajamas, then crawled into bed. The pink haired man cuddled close to the novelist, who silently wrapped his arms around the vocalist. Shuichi was asleep within minutes.

Eiri watched his lover sleep for a little while, admiring the childlike innocence that was more pronounced when the vocalist slept. Pink hair lay softly on Shuichi's pale cheek, and Eiri gently pushed it back.

Shuichi let out a soft sigh, and Eiri smiled. Placing a kiss on his lover's forehead, Eiri soon drifted off to sleep, content with Shuichi in his arms.

AN: Yay! Dang… It looks like this series is going to have some really long chapters… I never knew I was capable of writing long stories… It's vaguely amusing… Anyway, thanks again to my lovely beta Neko Kate-chan. And if you want the lemon scene (my very first one, too!), just let me know, and I'll send it to ya! See you next chapter, and don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Alright! We're on chapter three already…There is only going to be two more chapters, including this… Anyway, thanks again to my wonderful beta Neko Kate-chan… She's awesome! Onto the story…

Friday night came all too soon, if you were to ask Eiri. Shuichi had left for work early that morning, promising to be home to help straighten up, since Eiri didn't allow his lover to cook.

The only problem with that was, Eiri now had nothing to do. His next novel wasn't expected to be finished for a few months. Normally, he would try to get a head start on the novel, but he was suffering from severe writer's block. He knew the cause. He was too damn worried about meeting his pink haired lover's parents.

He was fine with Shuichi seeing his family again, although he was going to keep a close eye on his sister and brother-in-law. He didn't trust them when the vocalist was involved.

Speaking of his sister… Eiri sighed. He still didn't know what Mika had planned for his little lover, but it couldn't be anything good… Especially since Mika always was trying to embarrass him.

Deciding that he needed to keep busy, Eiri walked out of his study and surveyed the living room. It was relatively clean; if it were just the novelist's family coming, then he wouldn't really care. But Shuichi's parents were coming, and it would be the first time he would formally meet them. He knew that first impressions were important.

Another sigh escaped the blonde's mouth. He walked into the living room and began to pick up randomly placed paraphernalia. Scattered Pocky boxes littered the floor in front of the TV, and some of Shuichi's notebooks were haphazardly tossed on the coffee table, and a few mugs from Shuichi, Hiro, and Suguru's late night song writing party.

Tossing the empty boxes in the trash, the mugs in the sink, and straightening up his lover's notebooks, he surveyed the room again. Deciding that it was acceptable for the vocalist's parents, he walked over to the coat closet and grabbed the vacuum cleaner. Plugging in the device, he turned it on and vacuumed the floor within an itch of its life. Satisfied, he vacuumed the hall, the study, and the room he shared with his lover.

After the apartment was meticulously vacuumed, Eiri moved onto the bathroom. Pulling out the Clorox and 409, he scrubbed the counters, toilet bowl, and shower. He cleaned the mirror ten times before he deemed it acceptable.

He left the bathroom only to return with the mop. It was going to be a long afternoon.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Shuichi was nervous. His parents were coming to dinner, and they were going to meet Eiri's father.

It wasn't that Shuichi doubted his parents would get along with his lover's father, it was just that… Well… The vocalist wasn't ready to confront the monk just yet.

He knew that it was a long time ago, but he also knew that Uesugi-sama wouldn't forget his son's boyfriend flashing him anytime soon. To top it all off, Mika-san and Seguchi-san were going to be there as well. The only one that he was comfortable with at the moment was Tatsuha, but Eiri's little brother had a sick sense of humor, and would probably enjoy Shuichi's discomfort.

He knew that he wasn't being any help to the band today. He couldn't concentrate on what they were doing for more than two minutes, and it wasn't good that he was this distracted when they were recording a new song. Hiro was looking curiously at him, and the vocalist blushed.

Shuichi hadn't been distracted as much since his and Eiri's three-year anniversary. He knew that his lover didn't mean the cold things he said, that it was just his irritation speaking. Suddenly, the pink haired man realized that Hiro might mistake his sudden case of ADD as a result of a fight with the novelist.

He heard K tell them that they had a five-minute break, and Hiro headed over to his friend immediately. Shuichi sighed. He hadn't told his best friend that his and Eiri's parents were coming to dinner tonight. Smiling brightly as Hiro approached, Shuichi waited for the guitarist to ask the usual questions.

"Hey Shu. You okay? You seem kind of out of it today… Did something happen between you and Yuki-san?"

Shuichi's smile grew at his friend's concern. "Naw. We're great. It's just, well, Mom, Dad, and Maiko are coming to dinner at me and Eiri's place. I'm kinda nervous."

Hiro laughed. "Don't worry. You knew this day would come eventually. Nothing will go wrong."

The vocalist's smile wilted. "Oh, I wouldn't say that…Eiri's family is coming, too."

The guitarist's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

Shuichi nodded. "Yup. Seguchi-san, Mika-san, Uesugi-sama, and Tatsuha. With my parents and little sister. Under one roof."

The red head shook his head in disbelief. "What I would give to be a fly on the wall tonight."

The pink haired man rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Hiro."

Hiro smiled and slapped his friend on the back. "Don't worry. It's not like you don't deal with Seguchi-san everyday, and you said yourself that Mika-san isn't so bad."

Shuichi sighed. "I know, but I'm worried about Eiri's dad. I flashed him the first time I met him, for crying out loud!"

Out of nowhere, Suguru appeared. "Don't worry so much. Uesugi-sama isn't going to really hold it against you."

The vocalist regarded his sister's boyfriend for a moment. "I don't know…"

The synth player rolled his eyes. "Trust me. I know Uesugi-sama. If he didn't hold something I did against me, and, trust me, it was much worse than you flashing him, he won't hold that against you."

Intrigued, Hiro and Shuichi were about to question Suguru further when a bullet grazed his ear. Eyes wide, and face bloodless, the vocalist turned a shaky smile on his band mates. "Maybe we should finish recording, huh guys?"

The other two members of BAD LUCK quickly nodded their heads in agreement. Without another word, the three members reentered the sound booth, and began to rerecord one of the songs they had written last night for the fifth time.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
By the time Shuichi walked through the door of the apartment he shared with his lover, Eiri had finished cleaning the entire apartment. Every room had been vacuumed, mopped, dusted, and whatever else the novelist could find to do.

The vocalist was slightly wary as he toed off his sneakers and walked through the living room to the kitchen, where his blonde lover was currently standing over a stove.

"Did you leave me anything to do?" the younger man asked hesitantly. He knew that Eiri only did massive cleaning sprees when he was beyond nervous. Shuichi bit his lip. If the novelist was nervous, then that meant something bad was going to happen. It always did.

"Everything is clean. Make sure you don't make a mess. Dinner will be done at 6:15, so we have to find a way to occupy my family and yours for a little while."

Shuichi just nodded. He didn't really want to think about the two families meeting. It was just… Well, not right. "Eiri, did you tell your father my parents were coming?"

The novelist looked at Shuichi, face set in a scowl. "No. I forgot, but it doesn't matter. He'll get over it, and maybe he'll behave."

The pink haired man just nodded. If Eiri said it was okay that his father didn't know, then it was okay. If it wasn't, then it was Eiri's fault. Deciding that he should go change, the younger man left the kitchen and the man in it to retreat to his room to put on something more appropriate.

When Shuichi entered the room that he and his lover shared, he stopped. The room was spotless. All of the clothes that usually remained on the floor until one of them did laundry was picked up and put in the laundry basket. The bed was made, and there was nothing except a glass and the blonde's glasses on the night tables. He shook his head, because, honestly, did Eiri expect their families to explore their bedroom? Turning to the closet, he wasn't surprised to find out that the clothes were rearranged by color, article, and length.

Shuichi grabbed a pair of black slacks and a white button-up shirt, then made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. When he entered, he didn't even stop to think to about how long it must have took his lover to clean the entire apartment. Instead, he turned on the water, undressed, and hopped into the shower.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
As soon as Shuichi got out of the shower, Eiri jumped in. He had already showered that day, but since the food just had to sit for a while, there wasn't anything that he could do, and he always needed to keep busy when he was nervous.

It didn't take the blonde long to shower, and he was out of the shower five minutes after he had gotten in. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he left the bathroom to change.

He surveyed his closet, trying to decide what he wanted to wear. Deciding that a charcoal sweater and black slacks would be appropriate, he dried off and got dressed, then returned to the bathroom to blow dry his blonde hair.

He re-entered the living room at a quarter to six to see Shuichi sitting on the couch, nervously bouncing his knee. Knowing that there was still half an hour to go before dinner was done, and only fifteen minutes until everyone was expected to arrive, Eiri sat down next to his lover.

The novelist noticed his lover jump slightly at the dip in the couch. "It'll be fine, brat."

Shuichi sighed, resting his head on the older man's shoulder. "Are you sure? I mean, your family is different from mine. Very different. And your dad doesn't like me, and Tohma and Mika want us to break up. The only one who's okay with us is Tatsuha, but he likes watching me squirm. And-"

Eiri kissed Shuichi, effectively silencing his lover's nervous babble. The blonde felt the younger man sigh and lean into the kiss, and as tempting as it was to further their activities, the novelist pulled away. "They'll be here soon."

The pink haired man nodded mutely, staring blankly ahead at the clock. The usually happy, vibrant young man looked as if he were waiting for death to arrive.

Eiri smirked. _That's not such a bad analogy_, the novelist thought. Lord knew, if any of his family tried anything, death would be visiting. The blonde didn't suffer fools lightly, and his family was made up of fools.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
There was a sharp knock at exactly six o'clock. Shuichi stared at the door, very hesitant to answer. He knew that behind that door lay either Eiri's family, or his own, and he wasn't very eager to any of them.

"Who's at the door?" Eiri called from the kitchen.

Shuichi sighed. He would have to answer. Walking to the door, he called back, "I'm answering it!"

The pink haired man paused in front of the door, drawing courage from inside to actually face the people behind the door. Drawing a deep breath and plastering a smile on his face, Shuichi opened the door.

"Hello Shindou-san," Tohma Seguchi greeted. He was dressed in his usual attire of black pants, colorful shirt (this evening it was green), a black vest, and his hat. His wife, Mika, was dressed in a red blouse and black knee-length skirt. Shuichi thought they looked ready to celebrate Christmas.

"Seguchi-san, Mika-san."

Mika and Tohma entered the apartment, and Shuichi shut the door behind them. When the pink haired man turned around, he was dismayed to note that Eiri's sister and brother-in-law were staring at him.

Mika smiled at the vocalist, and was pleased to note that he took a slight step back. She held up the package in her hands and held it out so that it was between her and Shuichi. "I have a present for you, Shuichi. I hope you like it." She winked.

The younger man suppressed a shudder. Mika-san was giving him something? Surely the world was ending. She had been nothing but mean to him since the first time she met him, and only really talked to him when she wanted him to get Eiri to do something…

Shuichi took the present carefully, eyeing it suspiciously. "Thank you, Mika-san."

The woman laughed, a sheer sound of enjoyment. "No need to be so formal, Shuichi dear. For better or worse, it seems you're stuck with my brother, so I may as well be nice to you." When Shuichi made no move to open his present, she sighed. "It's harmless, Shuichi. Trust me. It's him you have to worry about when it comes to dangerous presents." She pointed at her husband with her thumb, who just smiled.

Biting his lip, the vocalist looked over the present. It was wrapped in neon orange wrapping paper, and the word "SHUICHI" was written on top of it in what appeared to be red lipstick. "Is this lipstick, Mika-san?"

The older woman rolled her eyes. "I forgot to write who it was to, so I pulled out my lipstick to write it."

Shuichi nodded silently. Before he could say anything else, another knock sounded at the door. Turning around, Shuichi mentally prepared himself for whoever was on the other side of the door. He opened it and was suddenly thrown to the floor, his sister on top of him.

"Aniki! It's so good to see you!" Maiko stated happily. Although she was seated on top of her brother, Shuichi noticed her eyes scanning the immediate vicinity for Eiri.

The vocalist sighed. "He's in the kitchen, stay out of there. Where are Mom and Dad? And can you get off of me?"

Maiko pouted cutely. Realizing that it was having no effect on her older brother, she sighed, standing up and dusting herself off. Her brother was straightening his shirt when she answered his question. "Mom and Dad should be up in a second. They were parking."

Sure enough, as soon as the words were out of Maiko's mouth, Shuichi's mom and dad walked into the apartment. Their mom was wearing a long blue skirt with a white button up blouse, while their father was in a black suit. Maiko wore a red knee length skirt and a white peasant top.

"Shuichi! You have a wonderful apartment!" his mother exclaimed. "Where on earth is that boyfriend of your's?"

The pink haired man blushed. A quick glance at Mika and Tohma told him that they were enjoying this. "He's in the kitchen, finishing up dinner," he told them.

Shuichi's mom considered this. "Really? He cooks? From the looks of you, it doesn't look like he feeds you much. Are you eating?" Without warning, Shuichi's mom began unbuttoning his shirt, poking his stomach and ribs.

"MOM!" Shuichi screamed. "I'm eating fine." His mother shot him a disbelieving look. "Really."

His mother huffed, but didn't push the subject.

Deciding that he better get introductions over with, Shuichi began. "Mom, Dad, Maiko, this is Eiri's older sister and brother-in-law, Mika and Tohma Seguchi. Mika-san, Seguchi-san, this is my mother, Minako Shindou. My father, Seiishirou Shindou. And this is my sister, Maiko."

Everyone murmured pleasant "how do you do's" and "nice to meet you's" and shook hands. Shuichi let out the breath he'd been holding. So far, so good. There was no bloodshed, and there was only twelve minutes until dinner.

Shuichi looked down at his hands, startled to still see the neon orange present in it. Slowly moving away from the group, he put the present on the coffee table. He was about to suggest that everyone take a seat when another knock sounded.

The vocalist already knew who it was, since they were the only ones not here yet. Making his way to the door, he opened it to let Eiri's father and younger brother in.

A squeal sounded from the congregation of people already present, and too late, Shuichi realized that his sister probably thought that Tatsuha was Eiri. Before he could stop her, she had already launched herself at the poor unsuspecting monk.

Shuichi watched as Maiko landed on Tatsuha and saw his friend's look of surprise. He saw them hit the floor, and he saw Tatsuha wince as his back made impact with the hardwood. He also saw the instance Tatsuha realized that he had a girl on top of him, and watched in slow motion as Tatsuha's hands moved to cup his sister's bottom.

Maiko froze, her back stiffening as she realized what was happening. The next thing anyone heard was a dull whack echoing in the silent living room. Every single person in the area winced, even Eiri's father.

There was silence as Maiko got up and once again dusted herself off. Tatsuha was staring at her in open astonishment, as though he couldn't just believe what happened.

Shuichi saw Tohma and Mika holding in laughter from the corner of his eye. He could tell they thought that that was the end of it, but Shuichi and his parents knew better. Mentally, the vocalist counted to three, then:

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO MY BROTHER YOU SLIME-BALL!"

Shuichi wasn't sure whether he should laugh, feel sorry for Tatsuha, or cry.

"What? What do you mean?" Tatsuha wasn't yelling, but anyone who knew him could tell he was close to it. "You threw yourself at me!"

Maiko huffed. "I didn't throw myself at you. I merely was trying to give my big brother's boyfriend a hug. I didn't think you'd grab my ass!" Shuichi's younger sister glared at Tatsuha. All of a sudden, Maiko's expression changed. "Why do you have black hair? Aren't you supposed to be a blonde?"

Tatsuha gave a world-weary sigh. "I am NOT Eiri. I'm his younger brother, Tatsuha Uesugi."

Maiko looked suspiciously at Tatsuha. "You look an awful lot like Eiri Yuki."

Shuichi thought that this was a good point to break in. It was obvious from the silent tears streaming down Mika's face and Tohma's silly grin that they were enjoying this far too much. "Maiko, this IS Eiri's younger brother, Tatsuha. They look a lot alike. Believe me, I made the same mistake you did when I first met him."

Maiko looked at her brother, trying to decide whether or not he was telling her the truth. Deciding that he was, Maiko stuck out her hand. "I'm Maiko Shindou, Shuichi's younger sister."

Tatsuha took her hand, a lecherous grin forming on his face. "Pleased to meet you, Maiko." He leaned down and whispered something that Shuichi couldn't make out in her ear. Maiko turned a bright red, releasing his hand as though he had acid on it.

She turned around and walked to the other side of the room and sat on the couch, not saying a word.

Shuichi looked at Tatsuha suspiciously, wondering what he had said to his sister that had quieted her. Deciding to ask later, he introduced his parents to Tatsuha. Tatsuha shook their hands and introduced himself to them.

There was only one person left to introduce, and Shuichi didn't know how to do it. For one, he didn't know Uesugi-sama's first name. Mika, who had regained control of herself a few minutes earlier, wiped a tear from her eye and stepped forward.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shindou, I would like to introduce you to my father, Isshin Uesugi. He's the chief monk at our family run temple in Kyoto."

Uesugi-sama nodded stiffly at Shuichi's parents, and they bowed politely.

Shuichi was about to break the tension when Eiri entered the living room. He walked over to the pink haired vocalist and put an arm around his waist, and Shuichi relaxed. Eiri gave his lover's waist a quick squeeze before he turned to address the Shindous.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shindou, a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly.

Shuichi watched as his mother blushed. His father just stared at Eiri critically, no doubt trying to decide it this man was worthy of dating his son.

"No, no, Yuki-sama," Minako exclaimed. "The pleasure is all ours! It's so nice to finally meet you." She gave her son a glare that was not lost on Eiri.

Trying to soothe her hurt feelings of not meeting her son's boyfriend until they've been together for three years, Eiri replied smoothly, "I'm so sorry it's taken this long for us to meet. The first two years of our relationship were really rough, and we didn't want to drag both of our families into the media hype."

Shuichi watched as his mother took in Eiri's explanation. She looked as though his boyfriend was some divine oracle, and everything out of his mouth was undeniable. "Of course. We completely understand."

Shuichi rolled his eyes. He had told his mom the same thing, several times, and she always said that it was an excuse. Eiri says it, and of course it's the truth. Shuichi glanced at his dad, who rolled his own eyes in response.

Eiri continued polite chatter with Shuichi's mother for a few minutes longer before moving to introduce himself to Seiishirou. "Mr. Shindou, a pleasure to meet you."

Shuichi's father shook Eiri's hand, replying, "Pleasure is all mine, Yuki-sama. Please, call me Seiishirou. You're family, after all."

Eiri was surprised, but quickly covered it, murmuring a quiet "thank you" and moving to the couch where Maiko was still sitting. He sat down beside the young woman, and watched her startle as soon as she saw Eiri beside her. The joy in her eyes was quickly replaced by suspicion, and she quickly moved as far from Eiri as she could.

Eiri was confused, but as soon as he spoke, he understood why.

"Are you Tatsuha-san, or Yuki-sama?"

Eiri closed his eyes for a brief second, once again cursing whatever gene it was that made him and his younger brother look so much alike. "I'm Eiri. What did my idiot of a brother say to you?"

Maiko relaxed, recognizing the speech pattern instantly from the tape that she had made when she hid a tape recorder in his office. "He said that if I wanted, he could be you for me and he'd show me a good time." She paused. "Oh, and that Shuichi could vouch for it."

Eiri felt his left eye begin to tick. "Believe me, Shu could NOT vouch for that, and Tatsuha will be taken care of." He smiled at Maiko, who smiled uncertainly back at him. Realizing that he should put his lover's sister at ease, he racked his brain for what he knew about her. He came up with she's dating Fujisaki, and is a fan of his books.

Sighing, Eiri realized that to put her at ease, he could talk about his next book. "So, Shuichi tells me that you're a fan of mine. How many of my books have you read?"

Maiko's eyes brightened instantly. "I've read every book you've written, and I have them all! Paperback and Hardcover editions, not to mention re-releases!"

Eiri smiled, although it was a little forced. When Shuichi had told him that she was a fan, he hadn't mentioned that she was obsessed, although he probably should have realized that when his hairbrush went missing. "Really? I'm flattered. I have another book coming out in a few weeks. I usually get an advanced copy of the book to look over before the release. I never look them through." Maiko was listening to everything with rapt attention, and Eiri knew that everyone was looking at him.

Gritting his teeth, he continued. "If you want, I could give you all of my advanced copies. I already have the new book's advance, if you want that as well."

In truth, Eiri had wanted to keep that particular advance, seeing as it had Shuichi's story as an added bonus in the back, but because the vocalist was a contributor, he had received one as well, so they could just keep that one. Plus, he had the original story.

Maiko's eyes were wide, and she was nodding fervently. Eiri glanced at his watch. There was still eight minutes before dinner was done. The novelist stood up and extended a hand to the woman that was sitting next to him. Maiko took his hand, and he helped her stand.

"Good. Before you leave, I'll give them to you. They're in my study, so maybe you could accompany me and I'll show you where I write."

Maiko just nodded, too dumbfounded to talk.

Eiri looked at Shuichi and saw that his lover had a soft smile on his face. The vocalist mouthed "thank you" and the blonde just shook his head slightly.

Figuring that he had spent enough attention on the Shindous, Eiri turned to address his family. "Mika, Tohma, Tatsuha, Father."

Mika shook out of the trance that she had been in while witnessing her cold-hearted brother being nice. "Eiri."

Tohma smiled, unruffled as always. "Eiri-kun, how nice of you to invite us all here for dinner."

Eiri heard the edge in his brother-in-law's voice and smiled. He knew that Tohma wouldn't like Shuichi's family being here, but being the polite as ever jackass that he was, he wouldn't say anything. Instead he would probably kill them all with his sugary sweet disposition. "It's nothing," Eiri said graciously, smirk in place.

Tatsuha just nodded, and Eiri nodded back. Eiri noticed that his brother was wearing blue jeans and a bright yellow button up shirt. Eiri's smirk grew. Tatsuha and their father must have gotten into it before they had left the temple, otherwise, his younger brother would be wearing something a bit more formal than that.

His father just glared at him. Eiri suppressed a sigh. There was only a few ways to please the old monk, and the blonde wasn't willing to do any of them. Ayaka was dating Hiro, and Eiri didn't want to marry the priestess anyway. He wouldn't dye his hair black or shave it bald, and there was no way he was going to run his family temple when their father died. Eiri stared back at his father, defiant as ever. He would just have to get used to the way that the blonde wanted to run his life.

Shuichi noticed the tension in the room begin to start rising again. Panicking, he looked at the clock. Still ten minutes to go until dinner. _Damn it_, the pink haired man thought. He had no idea how to break the tension in the room. He glanced at his sister helplessly.

Maiko watched her brother watch his lover face off with the monk. She saw her brother give her a helpless look, which she knew meant, DO SOMETHING! She smiled. She remembered back when her, Hiro, and Shuichi were back in school that her older brother had told them about his first encounter with Eiri Yuki. She had always wondered what the blonde had thought of it, and since she had Shuichi's go ahead…

Shuichi noticed the angelic smile appear on Maiko's face an instant before she spoke. He knew that whatever was going to come out of his mouth wasn't going to be any good, because Maiko never smiled like that if what she was going to do would be helpful.

"So, Yuki-sama, how did you and my brother meet?"

Eiri turned upon hearing the question. "What?"

Maiko looked at Eiri, brown eyes innocently wide. "How. Did. You. And. Shuichi. Meet." A ghostly smile appeared on her face.

Eiri was taken aback. Surely Shuichi had told her how they met, hadn't he? All of a sudden, he realized that none of his family knew exactly how he and the vocalist had met. A feeling of doom swept over him an instant before Tohma spoke.

"Yes, Eiri-kun. How did you two meet? You've never told us."

Shuichi looked at Eiri, his eyes apologetic. The novelist looked at his watch. Eight minutes. Deciding that he needed to either answer or change the subject, Eiri replied, "We met in the park."

Figuring that was all that they needed to know, Eiri considered the question answered. He didn't count on Maiko, who was the queen of detail, to stare expectantly at him. As if taking their cue from her, everyone with the exception of Shuichi and Tatsuha, who already knew the details, stared at him.

Eiri glared at all of them, trying to make it clear that he wasn't going any further. Maiko glared right back. The blonde glared at Maiko, silently impressed that she was able to withstand his glare. Everyone else had already started looking elsewhere, but not Shuichi's younger sister. She was still glaring at him.

"You met in the park? Is that all you're going to give us? Do we have to force it out of you?" Maiko demanded.

Eiri continued to glare. Maiko gave an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands in the air. "Fine. Force it is."

Maiko disappeared down the hall for a moment, returning with a slim paperback book that Shuichi and Eiri immediately recognized. Shuichi spoke first.

"Maiko, put the book down. I've already told you how we met, so there's no need to get violent."

Eiri nodded in agreement, but Maiko smiled in mischievous glee. "Nope. I want to hear it from him. And, I'm assuming, so does everyone else. Right?"

A chorus of "yes's" arose from those in the living room.

Gritting his teeth, the novelist said, "Fine, I'll tell you how we met, just give me the book, Maiko."

Maiko snorted. "Yeah, like that's going to happen. Tell us, then I'll give you the book back."

Sighing in defeat, the blonde told the two families how he and the singer had first met. It didn't take long. After all, their first encounter was Eiri reading over Shuichi's lyrics and telling him he had "zero talent." When he was done, though, Maiko looked satisfied and returned the book.

Eiri handed Shuichi the little paperback, and the vocalist went and put it away, back in their room.

It was when the vocalist came back the blonde noticed the bright orange gift sitting on the coffee table. Glancing at Shuichi, the novelist made his way to the garishly wrapped present and held it up. It was heavy, the heft of a good book. On top, scrawled in bright red, was his lover's name. With a sinking feeling, he knew that this was the gift that Mika had been talking about.

"Oh! In all the excitement, I totally forgot about that," Mika exclaimed, her expression one of surprise that Eiri was sure was fake. "Why don't you open it up before we all sit down to dinner, Shuichi?"

The vocalist was trapped and he knew it. He couldn't decline, otherwise his mother would start in on him about manners, but he knew if he opened it, it would be embarrassing to him, if not also Eiri. Sighing, he walked over and plucked the orange monstrosity out of his lover's hands.

Turning to the people assembled in the room, he began to peel off the wrapping paper, making sure not to get the red lipstick on his hands. From the little paper he had extracted, he could see a cream color and pages. _A book? _he thought. _Mika-san got me a book? _Shuichi was more curious than anything now, because, honestly, how embarrassing could a book be? Unless, of course, it was _The Joy of Gay Sex_ or _The Kama Sutra. _The vocalist suppressed a shudder and went back to being afraid of the gift.

He finally freed the book from its wrapping and stared at it blankly. It was a cream colored book with a spongy cover. The front had a bear embossed on it holding three balloons, and a name was engraved under the bear. _Uesugi Eiri_. Understanding dawned on Shuichi then.

A smile blossomed on his face and he opened the book to the first page. In neat script, he saw the answers to several questions written on the straight lines. His birthday, time of birth, weight, height, and even his blood type was on the first type. Where he was born and his birth announcement was on the next page.

The vocalist looked up and smiled brightly at Mika. Eiri, who hadn't seen what it was that his lover had been given, peeked over his shoulder, and his face immediately paled. Making a mad grab for the book that the pink haired singer sidestepped, the novelist glared at his sister, who smiled back innocently.

Maiko, who didn't know what the book was or why Eiri wanted it, piped up. "What is, aniki?"

Shuichi's grin widened. "It's Eiri's baby book. Thank you so much Mika-san!" The vocalist went over to the older woman and gave her a hug, which she returned.

"Well, after all, Shuichi, you are family. And it wasn't all my idea. Father deserves some of the credit. He wanted to show it to you; I suggested we give it to you at dinner." Mika smiled devilishly, and for a moment, Shuichi thought that her and Tohma were perfect for each other.

Snapping out of it, the pink haired man turned to Isshin Uesugi and bowed politely. "Thank you, Uesugi-sama."

The older man huffed, waving it away. "It was no problem. I knew that you'd want to see it, and I also knew that it would annoy Eiri. Two problems, one stone, and what not."

Shuichi laughed, deciding that he liked his lover's father. Looking at the clock, the vocalist realized that it was time for dinner. "Eiri, it's time for dinner."

Eiri grumbled, but said, "Table is over here," and began to lead them in that direction. After everyone was seated, he pulled Shuichi into the kitchen with him. To his dismay, his pink haired lover still had the baby book.

"Why don't you put the book down, Shu-chan?" Eiri purred in his lover's ear.

Shuichi shivered, but resolutely shook his head. "If I do, you'll take it and hide it, or destroy it, and I'll never see it."

Eiri couldn't help but nod in agreement. It was the truth. There were pictures in that baby book that no one should see, and the blonde had always thought that no one would. The only reason he hadn't destroyed the pictures were because every one of them had his mother in them, and the book had been kept by his mother.

Sighing in defeat, the blonde kissed the shorter man lightly on the lips. He felt his lover respond to the kiss, and smiled. Pulling away, the novelist whispered, "I will get that book. Enjoy while you have it Shu-chan."

Shuichi smiled secretly. "Oh, I'll enjoy it immensely, Eiri-kun," he whispered back to the novelist.

Eiri was momentarily worried. Before he could ask what the vocalist meant by that, Shuichi picked up some of the dishes and began to carry them to the table, where their guests were waiting, the baby book safely nestled in the crook of his arm.

The novelist had no choice but to follow, the rest of the food in his hands.

AN: Yay! So sorry for the time elapsed before an update... Life caught up with me and decided it wanted to give me bronchitus and an ear infection... Joy... Also, for those of you who didn't get the lemon, didn't post your e-mail addresses all the way, so I couldn't send it to you. If you still want it, go to my profile, and e-mail me directly. I'll get it to you! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this so far!

Morbid Flower: Glad you're enjoying this... Hope the wait wasn't too long...  
Gwen: You need wait no longer for the next chapter! It is here!  
SaberShadow Kitten: I'm glad you're finding this interesting... I used to read your Buffy fic on your site, so I'm flattered that you're reading my stuff... :grin: Hope you continue to enjoy!  
Towa-chan: Yeah... The long chapters are what's killing me, but it makes it so much easier to find a definite point to end it at. :grin: Continue to enjoy!  
Ichi-chan: I'm glad you think it's cute... I was going for that... Hope you like this chapter!  
Mizuky: I sent you the lemon, and I'm glad you think it's good... Just a hint, there's another one in the last chapter... Shh!  
MC-88: You like this better than Anniversary Gifts? Hmmm... I thought that one was stronger, but hey. Whatever. I'm glad you're enjoying it!  
Eve: Send me your e-mail and I'll send you the lemon... I'm glad you're likin this!  
Shuuichi Shindou-Uesugi: Glad that you're still enjoying this... Sorry about the wait... :hangs head in shame: The next part will be up quicker.  
JasLine: Well, dinner has started... Let's see how it goes... Enjoy!  
Lemur130: A lot of people seem to like long chapters... Huh... I'll keep that in mind for future stories... As for Suguru... Well, you'll have to wait and see, won't you? Continue to enjoy!  
Wendyghost: Of course I will finish this story... It may take a while, but it will be finished... I'm glad you're liking it!  
EiriYukiLover: I'm glad you're liking this... Dinner may have started, but there are still more moments to come... :grin:  
Yazzy: Nice to see you're still with me! LOL Anyway, I'm glad you're liking this as well... Keep reading!  
Kimra Dattei: Send me an e-mail and I'll send you the lemon... I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Mika's present hasn't worn out its usefullness yet... There are still some moments for it... :grin:  
ShadoFyre: Hee hee... Murphy seems to have his own law when it comes to Shu and Eiri, though... :sigh: Continue to enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Only one more to go after this! Woohoo! Thanks to my wonderful beta, Neko Kate-chan, and to DannyPerris, who forced me to get over my writer's block… Gotta love insistent fans… :grin: So so sorry that this took so long... Finals are coming up, and I've been studying every waking minute...

Shuichi sat down between Eiri and Maiko. It had been decided that the two patriarchs would sit at the two ends of the table. Minako, Eiri, Shuichi, and Maiko were on one side of the long table, while Tatsuha, Mika, and Tohma were on the other side. The chair next to Tohma, the closest one to Seiishirou, was empty.

The pink haired vocalist nervously looked up and down the table. He could tell his father was uncomfortable, as was his mother. Maiko was happily putting food on her plate, chatting with Tatsuha. Mika and Tohma were sliding looks at each other while placing food on their own plates. Isshin was waiting for everyone to finish grabbing their food so that he could say a prayer. Eiri looked like he needed a cigarette.

Shuichi took his lover's hand under the table, giving it a slight squeeze. There was an answering squeeze, and the younger man smiled. They would get through this dinner, if it was the last thing they did.

Isshin cleared his throat and everyone looked up. The usually uptight monk looked slightly unsure of himself, and Shuichi could see Eiri smile out of his eye. "I would like to say a prayer before we eat, if that's okay with everyone."

The novelist's smile grew. He had never heard his father ask permission for anything, and especially about a prayer. His father did what he wanted, everyone else be damned. That was just the way that Isshin Uesugi was. To hear him uncertain about anything… Well, that was something that Eiri wasn't going to let his father live down anytime soon.

There was a murmur of "of course" and "sure" that let Isshin know everyone was willing to take part in the prayer.

"Let us begin."

Eiri slid a glance at his lover, noting that the pink haired man had his head bent and was really participating in the prayer. Inaudibly, the novelist sighed. Deciding that he was bored, the blonde placed a hand on his lover's knee. Shuichi's body stiffened at the touch, and Eiri smirked. Slowly, the novelist moved his hand up and down his lover's thigh, occasionally squeezing.

The vocalist held back a moan. Eiri's hand was traveling higher up with every caress, and with the last upward stroke, the blonde's hand had made contact with the singer's groin. Shuichi shot his lover a glare, but the blonde merely smiled innocently.

The pink haired vocalist chanced a look at Isshin, who was still engrossed in his prayer. Deciding that turnabout was fair play, Shuichi moved his hand over to his lover's leg. Gradually, the younger man mimicked his lover's movements. He felt Eiri relax into the caress. Smirking, Shuichi moved his hand higher up until it was approximately beside his lover's crotch. Cautiously, the younger man placed his hand over Eiri's clothes clad genitals. A sharp intake of breath on the novelist's behalf was the only indication that Shuichi was having an effect on him. Gently, he ran the heel of his palm over Eiri's crotch.

Eiri couldn't hold back the low moan that his lover's actions had elicited.

Shuichi froze, hand still held over Eiri's groin. Suddenly, all the attention was on them. The vocalist's face slowly began to turn red.

"Yuki-sama, are you feeling ill?" Maiko was looking at her brother and his boyfriend with a curious expression on her face.

Eiri fought the blush that was threatening to appear. _Cold hearted novelists do NOT blush_, he mentally chastised himself. Out loud, he replied, "I'm fine, Maiko-chan. It's just that it's getting a little warm in here."

"Is that so, Eiri-kun?" Mika said sweetly. "I could have sworn that it was because Shuichi-kun's ha-"

The blonde cut her off before she could finish. "It's just warm, Mika-chan." He shot his older sister a glare. "Please continue, Father."

Isshin gave his eldest son a disbelieving look, as though he knew the real reason behind Eiri's moan. Without another word, the old monk continued the prayer without interruption.

As soon as Isshin finished the prayer, Shuichi began to dig into his food. The Shindous just sighed and began to eat theirs at a more sedate pace, while Mika and Isshin stared at the vocalist. Eiri, Tatsuha, and Tohma just began to eat their food, having already witnessed the pink haired man's eating habits.

"Shuichi, if you don't slow down, you'll choke on something," Mika said worriedly.

Tatsuha snorted. "Mika, Shuichi's mouth is a vacuum. Trust me, he's not going to choke. If he was going to, he would have done it a long time ago."

Maiko and her parents nodded their head in agreement. "He's been doing that since he was a baby. He could never eat enough to fill him up," Minako chimed in. Suddenly, her face lit up and she excused herself.

Maiko and Shuichi looked at each other. What was their mother up to now? Neither of them had a clue, so they just sat back and waited for her to return.

Seiishirou focused on his food, content to ignore everyone until he was asked a question.

A few minutes later, Minako returned, purse in hand. Shuichi looked at his mom and then at her purse. _She only carries that purse if she's bringing…_ The vocalist wasn't able to finish his thought.

"I have pictures of Shuichi when he was younger. I'm pretty sure there are a few where he's eating… Let me see…" There was a rustling sound as Shuichi's mom rummaged through her purse for the miniature photo album that she had put together for family events.

"Mom! We really don't need to see them," Shuichi said. Eiri thought he heard a hint of pleading in his lover's voice.

"Now, now, Shu-kun," Eiri purred. "I think that some of us are interested in seeing these pictures that your mother so thoughtfully brought with her."

Shuichi shot his lover a murderous glare. He should have known that his lover would want payback for Mika giving him the blonde's baby book, but this was just cruel and unusual. "No, Eiri-kun," the vocalist replied through gritted teeth. "I don't think anyone wants to see these pictures."

Tohma piped up suddenly, and both the novelist and vocalist could hear the pure glee in the synth player's voice. "Actually, Shuichi-san, I would like to see these pictures. I was thinking of putting together a collage of baby pictures of all the bands under my label."

Shuichi noticed Tatsuha perk up suddenly. "Does that mean there would be a baby picture of Ryuichi Sakuma-san?"

"Of course," Tohma replied.

Minako held up a black leather photo album, effectively cutting off whatever else could have been said. "Here it is!" she sang. "I knew that I had it with me somewhere…"

"MOM! Put it away… Please…" Shuichi was begging, and he knew it. He didn't care. All that mattered was that no one saw those pictures.

Suddenly, Eiri had the little book and was looking at the pictures. Mika, Tohma, and Tatsuha had crowded around him, trying to see as well.

"Awwwww! Look how cute little Shuichi is!" Mika squealed. "He looks so adorable holding that cookie and covered in flour!"

_That's it,_ Shuichi thought. _It's over. I'll never be able to show my face around them again._

He knew when they were reaching his high school pictures because Tatsuha began making snide remarks about growing. Shuichi just concentrated on his food.

Mika's voice broke into his thoughts. "Awwwww! Shuichi would make a wonderful parent, don't you agree, Eiri?"

"He is great with children," his mother's wistful voice responded. "We always thought that Shuichi would give us lots of grandchildren, but…" Minako's voice trailed off.

Shuichi noticed that his dad was shoveling food into his mouth with more force than before. Isshin, on the other hand, had stopped eating and was looking at Minako.

"I always hoped that Eiri would give me grandchildren as well, but his current relationship won't allow it." Shuichi felt Isshin glare at him. The vocalist began eating again with renewed fervor.

"Shut it, Father. Even if I weren't with Shuichi, I wouldn't give you grandchildren. I can't stand kids."

Shuichi smiled. He knew that, despite what his lover said, the blonde really did love kids. Whenever they went to the park, Eiri would spend an hour or so playing with the children that were there at the playground while Shuichi just sat and watched.

"I want a whole lot of kids," Maiko said dreamily.

"Same here," agreed Tatsuha.

Suddenly, everyone was staring at Tatsuha, including Seiishirou. "You want kids?" Shuichi asked incredulously.

Tatsuha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Shu. I want kids."

Minako and Isshin smiled at each other, but no one other than Eiri noticed it. The novelist didn't know his lover's mom very well, but he knew his father well enough to know that the monk's warped mind was concocting something. When he saw Isshin eye Maiko, the blonde figured he had a pretty good idea what it was.

They reached the end of the photo album, and everyone retook their seats and began eating. Isshin, Seiishirou, and Shuichi, who hadn't looked at the photo album, began to pile their plates with seconds.

"So, Maiko-chan," Isshin began conversationally. "How old are you dear?"

Maiko finished chewing her food and swallowed. "I've just turned 19."

"Really? Wow, so has Tatsuha!" Isshin replied.

Shuichi's younger sister looked at Tatsuha suspiciously. He looked older than her. "Really, Tatsuha-kun?" she asked politely.

Tatsuha, who was engrossed with eating, nodded in response.

"It's always nice to know that you're the same age as someone," Maiko said uncertainly.

Isshin smiled. "He's also single."

Tatsuha stopped eating as soon as he heard what his father said. _He's not trying to… He wouldn't… _

"Oh, well…" Maiko looked at her brother, who had also stopped eating.

Shuichi was glaring at Tatsuha, who was looking warily back at him. The vocalist didn't know what was going on, but he did know one thing: Maiko would go out with Tatsuha over his dead body. Shuichi looked at Isshin, who looked as though he were planning the wedding in his head. "Maiko is currently seeing someone, aren't you, sis?"

Maiko looked confused, but she nodded. "Yeah, actually, I'm sort of dating Fujisaki Suguru-kun."

"Are you now?" Tohma asked, his interest in the subject evident in his voice.

Maiko bit her lip. _How does Shuichi deal with these nut jobs?_ the brunette thought. Out loud, she said, "Yes, I am."

Tohma looked at her from across the table, as if sizing her up. "You don't seem like my cousin's type."

Shuichi's sister blanched. _Cousin?_ Maiko looked at her older brother, who was now holding his head in his hands. She was about to ask Shuichi about the validity of Tohma's statement when she noticed her brother nodding slowly.

The significance of the situation hit her then, and she burst out crying.

Startled, Eiri and Shuichi stared at the crying girl. There hadn't been any indication that she was about to burst into tears mere moments ago, so the vocalist was stumped as to why his sister was suddenly sobbing her heart out. Minako put her arm around her daughter, just as confused as her son and his lover. She slowly began to rub soothing circles on the girl's back, and Seiishirou glared at Isshin.

Shuichi realized with a start that his dad was going to blame Eiri's dad. His mind began to helpfully supply him with images of what was going to happen in the next few moments if he didn't defuse the situation, so he turned to his sister and asked her, voice gentle, "What's wrong, Maiko-chan? Why are you crying?"

It took a few minutes for his younger sister to stop her sobbing and be understood. "I can't date Suguru-kun anymore, and it's all your fault!"

The pink haired man was confused. He looked at his lover, as if Eiri held the answer as to what he did wrong, but only received a confused look and a shrug. Sighing, he turned back to his sister. "What do you mean you can't date Fujisaki-kun anymore?"

Maiko glared at her brother. She couldn't help but wonder if Shuichi was really that dense or if he practiced. She found it hard to believe that anyone could truly be as stupid as her older brother was. "He's indirectly related to me, you moron!"

Shuichi was still confused. Instead of trying to figure it out, he cautiously continued to question his sister, who had finished her crying and was moving on to being angry. "How's he indirectly related to you?"

"Are you really that stupid, aniki?" Her brother's blank looked answered her question for her. "Suguru is Tohma-san's cousin, who is Mika-san's husband, who is Yuki-sama's sister, who is your boyfriend!"

Shuichi still didn't understand. "So? Me and Eiri aren't married, so therefore Suguru isn't related to you. Besides, he only has a slight relation to Seguchi-san, so it's okay. You can keep dating him. It would be weirder if you were to date Tatsuha." This last part was said directly to Isshin, who just shrugged.

Maiko thought about it for a moment. "I guess you're right," she conceded. "Besides, I really like Suguru-kun and I would hate to have to break up with him."

The pink haired man clenched his fists. While he preferred his younger sister with Suguru to Tatsuha, he still wasn't sure how he felt about his sister dating his synth player. At least he could keep an eye on Suguru. He wouldn't be able to do that with Tatsuha.

Tatsuha had watched the whole conversation with a detached air. "Shuichi, can you pass the green beans?"

Eiri smiled. Leave it to his brother to say something completely random at the wrong time. He noticed his lover just staring at Tatsuha, so the novelist reached over, grabbed the pot of green beans, and passed them to his younger brother. "So, Shindou-san," the novelist began, looking at Seiishirou. "What is it that you do for a living?"

Seiishirou looked up from his plate of food. "I'm in advertising. I do the promotional work for bands at NG and for writers on your label, actually."

Tohma, who had begun to pay attention as soon as he heard "advertising," looked at Seiishirou. "I knew I had heard the name 'Shindou' before we signed Shuichi-kun onto our label."

Seiishirou nodded. "I've been your lead advertising agent for years, but I'm strictly background. The recent photo shoot that BAD LUCK did was one of my design ideas as well."

Shuichi looked at his dad. He knew his father worked for NG, but his dad was the one who had made them wear those whorish clothes earlier in the week? "Dad, what was with the costumes? Fujisaki-kun nearly had a heart attack. He's not used to wearing that type of clothing… He usually gets the normal clothes…"

Seiishirou looked at his son. "I wanted all of the members to look the same for this shoot, and Seguchi-san was the one who picked out the costumes."

The vocalist glared at Tohma, who just smiled innocently. "Why those clothes, Seguchi-san?"

Tohma shrugged. "I didn't think they looked so bad, and the promotional shots came out beautifully." Suddenly, the petite blonde frowned. "I don't see the problem. You wear more outlandish clothing on stage, so what was the problem with these clothes?"

Shuichi was about to answer, when Isshin spoke. "So, you promote the scandalous behavior and dress of our youth today?"

At first, the pink haired man thought that Isshin was talking to Tohma, but he suddenly realized that the monk was asking Seiishirou. Shuichi squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that this conversation wasn't going to go well. He remembered a time when he had asked his father something similar, and he remembered just how easily Seiishirou had blown his top.

"I promote the bands and authors in order to sell their product. We keep up with the latest fashion and cater to what the consumers want. What I believe is not relevant in my job, unless it's what the people believe."

Isshin glared. "So you are willing to dress your son up and parade him around like a prostitute in order to sell a CD, because that's what the people want?"

Seiishirou, who had still been eating, put his fork down. "I do not dress up Shuichi as a prostitute and parade him around. The clothing is tasteful, and the promotional shots are done tastefully."

The monk frowned. "But you're encouraging young men and women to dress the way that they see their idols dress. Doesn't that bother you in the least bit? Indirectly, you're responsible for the current sinning that the youth of our nation commits."

Shuichi's father's lips thinned until they were nothing more than a slash across his face. "I realize that as a monk, you are against sinning, but you must also realize as a parent that you can't control what your children wish to do or even how they dress." A meaningful glance was shot in Eiri and Shuichi's direction.

Isshin snorted. "The hell I can't control what my children do." The monk paused as he regarded the couple sitting next to him on his left. "I'm allowing Eiri to date that boy until he gets over this phase. It's the only way he'll truly settle down."

_A phase?_ Shuichi thought. _Is that really all I am to Eiri?_

As if sensing his lover's thoughts, he glared at his father. "Shuichi is not a phase, Father. I love him and I don't have any intention of leaving him or allowing him to leave me."

Eiri's father rolled his eyes. "You'll be done with the boy in another year or so."

Seiishirou suddenly stood. "I don't see your problem with them, Uesugi-sama. I think that they're fine the way they are, and I love my son despite his sexual preference."

Isshin stood as well. "Are you trying to say that I don't love my son because he's in a homosexual relationship?"

Shuichi's father shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me." Shuichi heard the edge of steel in his father's voice, and looked at his lover helplessly. Eiri shrugged, and went back to eating, not at all interested in his father's answer to the question.

Mika and Tohma were looking worriedly at each other, while Tatsuha was watching the whole thing with amused eyes. Maiko was wide eyed, not really understanding what was happening, and Minako had went to her husband's side, trying to calm him down and return him to his seat. It didn't work. Shuichi's father glared at Eiri's father, challenging the monk to answer his question.

Isshin glared daggers at Seiishirou. "Of course I love my son," he said through gritted teeth. "I just think that he should have broken up with Shuichi a long time ago. That kid is not good for his health. It's nothing against Shuichi. I find him and his antics entertaining."

Minako, who had been whispering in her husband's ear to relax and sit down, paused. "What do you mean 'bad for his health?'" There was an edge of warm anger in her voice, and Shuichi jumped at the chance to try to defuse the situation.

"It's nothing, Mom. Eiri got really sick a few years ago, and it was because of the stress of dealing with me, but he's better now."

Eiri rolled his eyes at his lover's lame explanation. "Something happened to me a long time ago that made it hard for me to have a relationship, so the stress of being with Shu and trying to forget my past caused me to fall ill. As Shuichi said, I'm fine now, and that's that." The novelist turned his head to look at his father. "Sit down before you fall down, Father."

Isshin sat down, and, much to Shuichi's relief, so did Seiishirou. Minako returned to her seat. There was silence as everyone ate.

Maiko had finished her food, and just sat there silently. She hated silence, and always was the one that was counted on to break it. Deciding to assume that role again, she racked her brain for topics that could be talked about without the chance of it leading to a fight. There wasn't a single subject that she could think of that probably wouldn't end in a fight. She sighed. Finally, she remembered Mika's present to Shuichi. "Hey, aniki?"

Shuichi, upon hearing his name called, looked at Maiko. "Yes, Maiko?"

Maiko smiled her most innocent smile. Of course, she had wanted the silence to end, and everyone cooing over baby pictures of Eiri-sama was one way of doing it, but she had an ulterior motive. She wanted to see her favorite author as a child and see if there was the opportunity to snag a picture or two. "Do you think that we could see Yuki-sama's baby book? I mean, none of us really got to see it in the living room, and I'm sure Mom would like to see it as well."

As if understanding what her daughter was up to, she looked at Shuichi. "Of course I would, Shuichi."

The vocalist worried his lip. He wasn't sure that he trusted his present with his mother and sister. It wasn't as if he wouldn't get it back, but he knew that he would probably get it back with a few pictures missing. Coming to a decision, Shuichi pulled the baby book out from under the chair. "Sure. But if there is one picture, page, or memento missing, I will get it back, understand?" His mother and sister nodded.

Maiko grabbed the book from her brother greedily and opened it to the first page.

This time is was Eiri's turn to vehemently ignore everything that Maiko and Minako were saying as they looked at his pictures. He had thought it was bad when Shuichi had had the book and was looking at it. He never thought that his lover would allow his family to look at it as well.

Shuichi looked at his lover with feigned innocence. "What's wrong, Eiri-kun?" he asked sweetly.

"Nothing that you won't be punished for later, Shu-chan," Eiri whispered. The novelist smiled as he noticed his lover shiver in anticipation.

Twenty minutes had passed, and Shuichi's mother and sister were still looking at the baby book. They had moved from the table to living room five minutes ago, when Eiri had almost "accidentally" spilled some wine on the book. Mika had joined the two women to tell them the stories that went with each picture.

Shuichi and Tatsuha had cleared the table and were washing the dishes while Eiri kept an eye on his and his lover's fathers. Tohma was quietly chatting with Seiishirou about Nittle Grasper's promotional photo shoot the following week.

Tatsuha looked at Shuichi with a smile on his face. "I've gotta say, Shu, this has been the most entertaining dinner I've been to in a while."

The pink haired man closed his eyes briefly, trying to keep himself from bursting out into tears. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tatsuha."

The black haired teen cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what was wrong with his friend. Instead of trying to figure it out, he simply asked, "What's wrong, Shuichi?"

Shuichi glanced at Tatsuha before responding. "This dinner was a disaster. Your father hates my father, and Mika is getting along with my mother, which means that she'll probably ask her to have lunch or something, and then they'll exchange embarrassing stories."

Tatsuha looked confused. "And your mom and Mika being friends is bad? I would have thought that was a good thing."

The vocalist sighed in frustration, scrubbing harder at the pot he was working on. "It is a good thing, but Mika-san has enough against me to embarrass me until I die. She doesn't need more ammunition."

Eiri's younger brother laughed. "Of course she does, she's Mika. Her picking on you means she likes you and considers you family. And Father doesn't hate your dad. He wanted to see how well your father would take criticism of his job." He caught Shuichi's disbelieving look. "Seriously. If Father didn't like Seiishirou-san, he would have left instead of sitting back down."

Shuichi still didn't quite believe Tatsuha, but figured that the young man knew his father better than the vocalist did. With a shrug, he continued to wash the dishes.

The two men finished the dishes a few minutes later and returned to where Eiri, Tohma, Seiishirou, and Isshin were sitting. Shuichi took a seat next to his lover, smiling slightly when Eiri took his hand under the table. The novelist gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and Shuichi relaxed.

It was then that he realized that Seiishirou and Isshin were talking, smiles present on both of their faces. Shuichi let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and looked at Tatsuha. The teen just gave him a smile that said 'I told you so.' Shuichi nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

Eiri looked at his brother and his lover. The two of them looked as though they were communicating telepathically, and the novelist felt a brief stab of jealousy. He knew, logically, that it wasn't possible, but he still felt as though the two of them were in on something that he knew nothing about. Making a mental note to ask his lover later, he turned to Tohma, who was merely observing everything at this point. "Mika's birthday is coming up, Tohma. What are you getting for my sister?"

Tohma smiled his creepy smile, and Eiri felt Shuichi shudder slightly. "Don't worry, Eiri-kun. I have plans for your sister's birthday this year."

Isshin snorted. "You do? Because, if I remember correctly, you forgot it last year, and she kicked you out for a week."

The novelist noticed Tohma's smile wilt a little. "Well, yes, but there was just so much going on last year, and Mika understood as soon as she cooled down."

Shuichi looked at his boss. Head tilted to the side, he asked, "You forgot Mika-san's birthday? And you're alive? Eiri forgot it last year, too, and he couldn't walk right for a month."

Eiri glared at his lover, who just smiled cutely back at him. "I didn't forget. I just didn't care." His lover rolled his violet eyes, and Eiri protested, "I didn't!"

"You didn't care about your dear older sister's birthday last year, Eiri-kun?" a dangerous voice asked. Eiri knew who that voice belonged to, and he suppressed a shudder.

"Of course not, Mika. I had other things to worry about. Besides, Shuichi got you a gift from both of us."

Mika scoffed. "He got me Nittle Grasper concert tickets, which I get for free, seeing as I'm married to the synth player."

Shuichi blushed at the mention of his lame gift. "I'm sorry, Mika-san! I just wasn't thinking… I promise that we'll" Eiri noticed that there was an emphasis on that word, "get you something a lot better this year."

"You'd better, aniki. I can't believe you got your boyfriend's sister something so stupid. How is it that Hiro and Suguru-kun put up with you on a daily basis?" Maiko was looking at her brother, disgust on her face. "I mean, I know that you can sing, but honestly. There's only so much that a person can put up with!"

Shuichi glared at his little sister. "Hiro and I are very much alike, and Fujisaki ignores us as much as possible." _More like avoids,_ Shuichi thought with a smirk.

Minako, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, smiled. Maiko, Shuichi, and Seiishirou noticed the smile, and all three of them were instantly wary. "I know!" Shuichi's mom chirped cheerfully. "Why don't we throw Mika-san a party? We can have it at our house."

Maiko's face lit up. "Yeah! And I can invite Suguru-kun!"

Tohma smiled, noticing Shuichi's apparent discomfort. "I'm sure that Noriko and Ryuichi would like to help you celebrate your birthday as well, darling."

Mika thought about it. She had a feeling that it would be fun, unlike her last couple of birthdays. "That sounds great!" Mika exclaimed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shuichi looked ready to pass out. "We should do that!"

Minako smiled brightly. "Well then," she began, "We'll need to begin making preparations. Why don't I give you my number, and you can call me next week and we can plan it?"

"That sounds lovely, Minako-san."

Eiri idly noticed his lover's pale face at the news that they would have another family function in a week's time. Leaning over, he whispered, "Sakuma-san will be there, and we can leave as soon as Mika opens the presents."

The vocalist looked at his lover, relief and gratitude evident on his face.

Excited chatter from the women and Tohma filled the air as they began making tentative plans. Shuichi, Eiri, Isshin, and Seiishirou continued to sit at the table. "Well," Shuichi's father said, "Looks like we'll all see each other again next week. And this time," he continued miserably, "it's at my house."

Isshin patted Seiishirou's shoulder. "It won't be that bad. Since it's your house, you can hide. I can't," the monk finished bitterly.

The novelist felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Glancing to the side, he noticed that Shuichi was resting his head there, and appeared to be nodding off. Smiling gently, he put an arm around his tired lover.

Suddenly, there were three flashing lights. They went off one after the other, and Shuichi jumped up and began singing.

The novelist was confused until he looked up and saw the cameras. Each of the women had one, and it looked as though they were waiting for the opportune moment to snap some pictures. Instead of the gloating faces that Eiri expected, he noticed that all of the women, Tohma, and even Seiishirou and Isshin, were staring at his lover.

Shuichi was standing, eyes still closed, as he sang. Eiri couldn't take his eyes away from his little lover as he continued to sing in a clear, strong voice. A few minutes passed, and Shuichi finally ended the song. Opening his eyes, he was confused to see that he was in his dining room and not on stage.

_There were flashing lights, and that means that I'm on stage, _the vocalist thought disjointedly. It wasn't until he saw the cameras that his sister, mother, and Mika held that he realized what had happened. A pink flush spread across his face as he sat back down next to Eiri.

"Well done, Shuichi-san," Tohma complimented.

"Thank you," the pink haired man mumbled.

Eiri looked at his lover. He took in the blush and the tired eyes, and came to a decision. Looking at the clock, he said, "It's getting late, and I would like to get some sleep."

Isshin looked skeptically at his son. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

Eiri glared at his father. "Yes, Father. Shuichi and I are both tired. After all, it's after ten o'clock. You've all been here for four hours."

There was a surprised gasp from Minako and a strangled cry from Maiko. "I told Suguru-kun I'd call him at nine!" she whined. Coming to a decision of her own, she began to pull on her mother's arm. "Let's go, Mom. Aniki is falling asleep at the table, so we should leave."

Minako looked at her daughter and rolled her eyes. She knew that the girl only wanted to go home to call her boyfriend. Deciding to take pity on her, she said, "I suppose it is time for us to leave."

Isshin and Tohma murmured their agreement, standing. Seiishirou stood as well as Eiri, who was half supporting a sleepy Shuichi.

The group walked to the door. The novelist and the vocalist patiently waited as everyone put on their shoes and coats, making idle chatter. Finally, both families were ready to leave. Minako and Maiko gave Shuichi and Eiri big hugs. Minako whispered in her son's ear, "Remember, Shuichi, to use a condom."

Shuichi turned bright red, and Eiri eyed him curiously. Deciding to ask him what happened later, the novelist continued to say goodbye to his family. Shuichi received hugs from Mika and Tatsuha, while Eiri shook hands with all the men. Just as everyone was almost out the door, Maiko stopped. "Yuki-sama!" she cried. "You promised me the advanced copies of your books!"

Eiri shut his eyes and smiled. "So I did. Okay. Come with me, Maiko-chan."

Shuichi watched as his lover led his sister out of the living room and into the study. Shuichi's parents had stopped noticing that they're daughter wasn't with them, and Eiri's family had stopped as well. The vocalist wanted so badly to just tell them all to leave, but instead, he smiled at everyone.

Finally, Maiko and Eiri returned. There was a big stack of books in Maiko's arms, and Minako helped alleviate her daughter of the load by taking half. Finally, everyone shuffled out the door, calling out 'thank yous' and 'see you laters.'

Shuichi shut and locked the door. He turned around, leaning against the door for support. "We made it… We survived."

Eiri walked over and took his lover into his arms. Giving him a gentle kiss, he smiled. "Until next week, Shu-chan."

The pink haired man groaned. "We don't have to go, do we?"

The blonde smirked. "Do you want to risk my sister's wrath?" Scared violet eyes were his answer. "Then yes, we have to go. But I told you we could leave early."

The vocalist nodded mutely. Leaning his head against the taller man's chest, Shuichi closed his eyes. "I'm sleepy, Eiri."

The novelist smiled down gently at his lover. "Let's go to sleep, Shu." Pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his lover's head, he gently lead his lover down the hall to their room.

AN: Another chapter done! Next chapter, the aftermath, and Mika's party... Then it's all over... Bwa ha ha ha ha!

Wendyghost: Hee hee... I liked when Tatsuha grabbed her butt too... I just thought that was pure Tatsuha... :grin:

EiriyukiLover: Dinner is definitely a once in a lifetime moment... Especially with this family... I think it would be cool if someone could draw the pictures in the baby book... I can't draw... :pout:

Shado-Fyre: I don't think the baby book is scary... I think Mika is scary... :shudder: And evil. :grin: But yes, I think Hiro had a point as well... :grin:

Colie: Sorry that I took so long... Life came up. :sigh: Oh well. I'm hoping that the last chapter is posted soon, mainly because then it'll be done and I can move to the next story... I hope you like this chapter! Only one more to go!

Lemur130: My mom doesn't have any baby pictures of me. They all mysteriously burned in a bonfire. :innocent smile: I think parents do it to embarrass you later on in life. I think that is they're sole purpose for existing... Oh well. LOL

Yazzy: Next one's up now! Yay! LOL

Tsugath: Hope you feel better! And yes, Mika is evil... But that's why people like her!

JasLine: Shu baby photo? Are you picking my brain? Hmm... LOL You get you're wish Jaz! LOL Enjoy!

TaraYuki-Uesugi: They're families are mental! Ha ha ha! But it's almost over... They shall have peace... LOL Hope you're enjoying!

Ichi-chan: I'm glad you're enjoying! I think the baby book was cute... :grin: Poor Eiri! Oh well... Shu-chan will enjoy Eiri's punishment, of course. :grin:

Vcorrigan: I totally didn't catch that error... Dang. Oh well... :sigh: Hopefully there aren't any more errors... But I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Dark Wryder: Thank you. :grin:

SwiftSilver: Don't worry... Shuichi gets his... And Eiri's father isn't that bad... Mostly. A lot of the time... Okay. He's evil, but that's why I like him. :grin:

Nivia: Thanks! I'm tryin... And I really like Gravitation, and the characters are so perfect the way they are, I only want to tweak them a little bit... LOL

GravityNeko: I'm glad you liked the chapter! Did I already send you thelemon? I can't remember... Hmm... If I didn't, lemme know and I'll send it.

Bitter Green Tea: Yup. Maiko does have something up her sleeve, and Eiri is the smoothest talking character ever. Too bad he doesn't care most of the time. :grin: Oh well, I hope the tension didn't kill you, and you'll have to let me know if it ended in disaster or not. :grin:

P.L.S.: I agree... It sort of reminds me of my family... Chaos is definitely bliss (and more entertaining. :grin:)

Hoshi-Hiru: Too busy to review::cries: It's okay. I'm over it. I'm glad you reviewed and that you're reading this one as well. That makes me happy! I hope you're enjoying it so far... It's almostover!

GWL: Updated. :smile:

Sonomi-chan: Thanks! I like being called awesome. It makes me smile... LOL Anyway, here's the next chapter... Enjoy!

Aacire: I had to stop there because the chapter was getting too long... But here's the next chapter, so I hope you like it!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This is the last chapter! See you at the bottom! Again, thanks to my wonderful beta, Neko Kate-chan!

Shuichi hesitated for a second before raising his arm to ring the doorbell. He stood with his boyfriend at the front door of his house, and the vocalist was scared. He hadn't wanted to come to Mika's party, but he knew that if he didn't, he and Eiri would never hear the end of it. Therefore, the two men stood on the doorstep, waiting for one of the Shindous to answer the door.

The door swung open, and Shuichi was greeted with an enthusiastic hug from his mother. The pink haired man pulled away gently, not wanting to upset his mother. Fortunately, Minako was not upset. Instead, she happily glomped onto Eiri, who looked at his boyfriend with a pained expression. Shuichi looked helplessly at the blonde, silently mouthing "Sorry" to the older man.

When Minako released Eiri, the blonde man quickly moved beside Shuichi, quickly taking his hand and walking into the house. Minako trailed happily behind, smiling mischievously.

Quickly, Shuichi's mother shut and locked the door. Looking around the semi-crowded room, she caught Mika's eye, and then Maiko's. All three women smiled at each other. They had known that Shuichi and Eiri would try to leave as soon as possible, so the three women had concocted a scheme that prevented them from leaving the house. All it had taken to put in action was a little pouting from Mika, and Tohma had caved and given into their request.

Mika walked briskly to where her younger brother stood holding hands with BAD LUCK's vocalist. Plastering a smile on her face, Mika greeted her brother. "Eiri, you came," she said pleasantly.

"Not like we had much of a choice," was the muttered reply.

Deciding that it was now or never, Mika embraced her brother. Startled, Eiri stiffened, deciding that if his older sister were embracing him, she wanted something. There was a soft _click_, and then the unmistakable feeling of cold metal against his neck.

Meanwhile, Maiko had decided to use a different tactic with her older brother. "Aniki!" she squealed, quickly glomping onto the vocalist. She felt her brother wrap his arms around her, more to steady himself and prevent her from falling rather than actually returning the embrace.

Suguru walked up then, a metal bracelet in his hand. Shooting Shuichi an apologetic look, he quickly fastened the metal bracelet around his lead singer's right wrist. Maiko disentangled herself from Shuichi, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"What's this?" the pink haired man asked cautiously.

Maiko's smile grew wider. "It's a bracelet, aniki."

Shuichi closed his eyes, trying to keep from losing his temper. "I know that, Maiko-chan, but what I want to know is why it's on me."

Maiko giggled, and Suguru tried to make himself smaller. "Mika-san can explain." With that said, the younger Shindou child turned to where Mika stood. "If you would please explain to my dear aniki what this bracelet does."

Mika smiled, pleasure evident in her eyes. "Of course. Well, your bracelet is one of a set of four, Shuichi-kun. There are two bracelets, one of which you're wearing. Tatsuha is wearing the other one. There are also two necklaces, one of which Eiri-kun is wearing, and one of which Father is wearing." Eiri glared at his sister. He had known as soon as he had felt the metal what these were, and he was not happy at all. Mika smiled sweetly at her brother and continued. "These devices are programmed to keep people form entering certain areas. In your cases, it's to keep you from leaving until I say it's okay."

Shuichi's eyes bugged out. "Mika-san! That's not fair! You can't keep us here against our will!" As if to prove his point, the pink haired singer walked to the front door. Noticing that it was locked, he undid the deadbolt and opened the door. Looking back with a defiant expression on his face, he crossed the threshold and stepped onto the porch.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Shuichi ran inside the house, visibly relaxing as soon as he was past the threshold and inside the entryway.

"As I was trying to say before you interrupted me," Mika smirked, "the device was created to give a nasty electric shock to whoever is wearing the jewelry if they step inside the designated area."

"In other words," Eiri growled, "if we try to leave without their permission, we get electrocuted."

Shuichi sulked, quietly rubbing his arm as if he were trying to bring back feeling in it. He hadn't expected his mother and Mika to try to keep them at the party. He and Eiri had just thought that they'd be happy that they actually showed up. Sighing, Shuichi joined his boyfriend, pouting cutely at Mika, who just cocked an eyebrow.

"You're not leaving until I say you can. After all, I have the keys and control panel." She smiled. She knew that Eiri wouldn't try to leave; after all, it was because of his antics that these devices were created in the first place.

Mika suddenly noticed that the two men were carrying neatly wrapped packages. Her smile grew as she reached out to grab them. Eiri, who had seen the shift in his older sister's eyes, quickly pulled the present and his boyfriend out of range. "No, Mika. You'll get them when you open the rest of the presents." With that said, Eiri half dragged Shuichi to a table on the other side of the room that was heaped with presents. Quickly, Eiri and Shuichi added theirs to the stack.

The pink haired vocalist had decided as soon as he had agreed to go to the party that he was going to hide out in his old room, but before he could suggest it to Eiri, Noriko and Ryuichi Sakuma cornered the two of them. Shuichi quickly looked around, knowing that wherever there is a Ryuichi, there is usually a Tatsuha. Not seeing the dark haired teen, he relaxed. "Ohayo Sakuma-san, Noriko-chan."

"Shu-kun!" Ryuichi squealed. "I told you already not to call me 'Sakuma-san.' It makes me sound old," the thirty-three year old singer pouted.

Shuichi smiled. "Hai, gomen Ryuichi-san." Suddenly, there was a pink blur and Ryuichi's famous teddy bear was in the pop singer's face. "Ohayo Kumagoro-chan!" he greeted.

"Kuma-chan says ohayo Shuichi-kun!" replied Ryuichi.

"Ohayo Shuichi-kun. How goes everything?" Noriko, deciding to take advantage of Ryuichi's silence, asked. She hadn't seen her old lead singer for a few years. The two bands did so much touring and promotional spots that meeting up had become impossible. The only time they ever really saw each other was when they ran into each other at TV stations and benefit concerts.

"Great, Noriko-chan. We just finished up our next CD, and K is giving us two weeks off to relax," responded the younger man.

"Oh, I wish we had some time off," she wistfully replied. "I haven't spent time with my husband and daughter in ages. Besides, it would be nice to get away from Tohma. He's been in a bad mood lately," she whispered confidentially.

"When isn't he," muttered Eiri. A sharp nudge in the ribs from his boyfriend was his response. "What? It's the truth."

Shuichi was about to respond when he suddenly spotted Tatsuha. The dark haired teen was searching the room intently, as if looking for something. Shuichi had a feeling that he knew what that something was. As if sensing the pink haired singer's thoughts, the young monk looked at him. Upon spotting the group, his eyes fell upon Ryuichi and lit up.

"Oh Ryu-chan!" he sang out. "I found you!"

Ryuichi let out a little squeal of delight as he felt Tatsuha's arms wrap around his waist. He sighed contentedly when the monk began nipping along his jaw line.

Noriko sighed. "Get a room, you two," she said in exasperation. To Eiri and Shuichi, she explained, "The two of them got together after we invited him to dinner for our reunion anniversary. They've been this way since," she finished in disgust.

Tatsuha and Ryuichi weren't paying attention to the rest of them, instead focusing on each other. Eiri sighed. He wasn't allowed to do that with Shuichi, so why was Tatsuha allowed to do that with Ryuichi? A thought came into his mind when he noticed the silver bracelet around his brother's hand. Excusing himself from the group, well, from Noriko and Shuichi, he went in search of his sister.

Shuichi looked at Noriko, who just shrugged back. It wasn't until Tatsuha began screaming that the pink haired man realized what his boyfriend had gone to do. Eiri returned just then, Mika and Minako in tow.

"We told you, Tatsuha, that you weren't allowed to do that tonight," Mika growled.

"But-" His reply was cut off by a sudden shriek. It was then that Shuichi saw the silver remote in Mika's hand. _That must be the control panel_, he thought.

Shuichi shuddered, afraid of the power that Mika now held in her hands. He looked at Eiri, who was obviously enjoying his brother's torture. The pink haired man sighed, knowing that his lover was only being vindictive because of the ground rules they had set before arriving.

The vocalist sighed dejectedly. He had no idea what had possessed him to set rules for the party. There were only three rules: 1. No being all lovey-dovey. There were cameras around, after all. 2. No baiting Tohma. The NG president had been in a really foul mood lately, and the urge to taunt him was almost overwhelming for Eiri. The final rule was that they would leave as soon as Mika opened their presents.

Shuichi had been all for the last two rules, but he had no idea why he had suggested the first rule. Deciding that rules were made to be broken, the pink haired man quickly looked around the room.

Seiishirou and Isshin were sitting on the couch, talking quietly. Tohma was brooding in a corner. Minako and Mika were torturing Tatsuha while Noriko watched and Ryuichi cried. Maiko and Suguru were nowhere to be found.

A little worried that his sister and Suguru were both missing, he grabbed Eiri's arm and rose on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "My room is upstairs. Wanna go check it out?"

Eiri looked at his boyfriend, a smirk on his face. He nodded slightly. Quietly, the two of them backed away from the group. They had made it to the stairs by now, and no one had noticed that they were missing.

Quickly, they made there way up the stairs and into Shuichi's bedroom. The pink haired man noticed, with a touch of dismay and concern, that his sister's door was shut as well.

Deciding to shake off his thoughts concerning them, he quickly shut his door.

Eiri had only been inside of his lover's room once, and he hadn't really looked around. There was a bunk bed against one wall, a desk against the other, and not much else. There were Nittle Grasper posters scattered along the walls, and a closet on the far end of the room.

He looked at the door where his lover was still standing. Walking over to him, he braced his arms on either side of the smaller man and leaned down to kiss him gently.

The novelist felt Shuichi melt into the kiss, and the blonde smiled. Eiri flicked his tongue against the pink haired man's bottom lip, and Shuichi opened his mouth, granting Eiri's tongue entrance.

Shuichi moaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck, pulling his closer. The kiss grew more frantic, as if they couldn't get enough of each other. Eiri had withdrawn his tongue and was gently nibbling on the vocalist's lower lip.

Shuichi pulled away with a sigh. "I've been wanting you to do that all night," he whispered.

Eiri chuckled. "We haven't even been here for half an hour, Shu."

The younger man pouted cutely. "But it wasn't fair to see Tatsuha and Ryuichi-san do that when we can't."

The blonde placed a kiss on his lover's forehead. "You're the one who made the rules, Shu. Besides," he shrugged. "They were punished for it, weren't they?"

Shuichi smiled. "Yeah, I guess they were. And we can't be punished because we're still in the house."

The novelist smiled. "True." Without another word, he claimed his lover's lips in another searing kiss.

The pink haired singer stood on tiptoes, angling his head in order for Eiri to deepen the kiss. The younger man's hands started traveling down his lover's shirt, stopping to undo the buttons on his way down. As soon as all of the buttons were undone, Shuichi pushed the shirt off his lover's shoulders, letting the lavender cloth flutter to the bedroom floor.

Suddenly presented with the bare chest of his lover, Shuichi pulled away from the kiss and began to trail his lips down Eiri's neck and chest. He stopped when he came to one hardened nipple, deciding to give the little nub some attention.

Without warning, Shuichi sucked the novelist's nipple into his mouth, gently sucking and biting at the hardened nub. He felt Eiri's hand tangle in his pink locks, his soft moan urging him on.

Shuichi smiled around the nipple. The vocalist trailed his hands down lower, playing with the hem of the novelist's pants. He ran one hand over the growing bulge in Eiri's pants while the other hand made to undo the top button and zipper. When Eiri's pants were undone, Shuichi ran both hands over the silky fabric of the blonde's boxers.

With one fluid move, Shuichi had his lover's boxers and pants around his ankles at the same time that he moved from one nipple to the other.

CUT SCENE

Eiri was just about to free his lover from his jeans when they both heard a shout. Shuichi jumped off of his lover and quickly pulled on his discarded shirt. He had known that scream…

Opening the door, careful to keep Eiri from view if anyone was lounging about his door, he quickly made his way to his sister's room, yanking open the door.

What he saw was something that he had never wanted to see. His sister was straddling Suguru, completely naked except for her socks. She was raising herself up and down onto the man beneath her, who was also naked.

Maiko had looked at the door as soon as it had crashed open, staring in wide-eyed horror at her brother. Suguru had paled.

"Aniki! What the hell do you think you're doing!" she shrieked.

"I heard a yell, and thought my baby sister was in trouble!" he yelled back.

"She wasn't in trouble," Suguru said meekly. Immediately, he realized that he shouldn't have said anything, that he should have just remained quiet and invisible. _Too late for that now,_ he thought.

"You're right," Shuichi whispered menacingly. "She wasn't, but you, Fujisaki-kun… You are in so much trouble right now…" The pink haired man watched in grim satisfaction as his band mate's face paled. "What did I tell you, Fujisaki-kun? Lay one finger on my sweet, innocent sister, and you're dead… And it seems you've lain so much more than one finger on her."

Maiko had moved past embarrassment and horror very quickly, and went straight for anger. "I seduced HIM, aniki. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me." Shuichi glared at her, and she glared right back. "Besides," she smirked, "who are you to tell us what to do when you and Yuki-san are next door doing the same thing?"

"That's different," the pink haired man whispered harshly.

"How so?" Maiko challenged.

Shuichi's face turned beet red. He knew that it was really no different, that it was hypocritical, but this was his baby sister, damnit! "It just is," he answered petulantly.

"Yeah, right." Maiko scowled at her brother. "If you have nothing else to say, could you please leave? We were in the middle of something."

Shuichi's eyes bugged. "Oh no you were not, young lady," he screeched. "Maiko, get off the boy." Maiko didn't move. "NOW."

"You can't make me," she replied insolently.

A mischievous gleam appeared in Shuichi's violet eyes. "Wanna make a bet?" Before Maiko could respond, the vocalist called out, "MOM! DAD! MAIKO'S HAVING-"

Shuichi was cut off by Maiko's hand over his mouth. The pink haired man smirked in triumph. Maiko was now off of Suguru. "Get dressed, Maiko," he said around her hand.

As if realizing that she was naked in front of her brother, the younger Shindou turned beat red. Spinning around, she grabbed her clothes off of the floor and hastily redressed. Suguru had already put his clothes back on while Maiko was silencing Shuichi.

"It's not fair," Maiko pouted as soon as she was dressed. "You and Yuki-san can have sex in your room, but I can't."

"We weren't having sex," a voice said from behind the vocalist. Eiri walked into the room, fully clothed and looking nothing like he'd just received the blowjob of his life. "He gave me a-"

Shuichi silenced his lover with a kiss. "Not helping, Eiri," he whispered against his lips.

The blonde shrugged. "Come on, Maiko-chan. I'm sure everyone is wondering where we all are."

Maiko, star struck by the chance to walk with Eiri Yuki, followed blindly, leaving Suguru and Shuichi alone.

Shuichi shut the door as soon as his sister was out of it. "I was just starting to warm up to you, Fujisaki-kun," the pink haired man stated sadly. "Now, I have to kill you for defiling my sister."

Suguru swallowed hard. "But… I didn't… I mean, I did, but…" The green haired man started breathing hard, backing up and falling onto the bed. Shuichi advanced on him.

"What are you trying to tell me, Fujisaki-kun?" he questioned curiously. "Are you trying to tell me it wasn't your fault?" Suguru shook his head, deciding it best to take the blame. "Or, maybe you're trying to tell me that my sister was already defiled when you got to her?"

Suguru knew that there was no way out without a thorough beating. The synth player looked up at his lead singer, trying in vain to keep from hyperventilating.

"What am I going to do with you, Fujisaki-kun?" Shuichi queried. "I can't trust you to be alone with my sister, and I can't kill you because I promised Maiko I wouldn't physically hurt you… What a dilemma."

Suguru almost fainted in relief. He couldn't be physically harmed. That was good. There wasn't anything that Shuichi could do to him that would hurt him. He relaxed.

"I have an idea!" Shuichi suddenly exclaimed. A smile appeared on his face, and Suguru was instantly wary. "I can't hurt you physically right? Well, Maiko never said I could hurt you emotionally or embarrass the hell out of you." Shuichi noticed Suguru starting to pale again. "This is how you're going to make it up to me…"  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Shuichi and Suguru entered the living room just as Mika was starting to open her presents. Immediately, the two boys split up, finding their significant others. Finding Eiri standing against the wall, Shuichi joined him.

"So," the blonde whispered. "What did you do to him? He doesn't look like he's in pain."

The pink haired man smiled. "You're going to our next concert, right, Eiri-kun?"

The novelist looked at his lover curiously. "I guess. Why?"

Shuichi just smiled cryptically. "You'll see."

Mika was opening up the present from the Shindous. She shrieked in excitement when she saw a digital camera and two tickets to a day spa. "Thank you so much!" She gave Minako and Maiko hugs, and bowed politely to Seiishirou. They all muttered that it was not a big deal. Mika smiled.

There were only two more presents left on the table now. One from Eiri, and one from Shuichi. Mika had decided to open up the gift from her brother first. Grabbing the silver wrapped gift, she stripped it of the wrapping paper, and stared at the present. A red flush began to appear on her cheeks.

At first, Shuichi had thought that Eiri had gotten her something embarrassing, like the Kama Sutra, but it turned out that that wasn't it. "EIRI UESUGI! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

A yellow book came flying through the air, hitting the wall where Eiri's head had been if he had not moved it. Shuichi moved to pick the book up, wariness evident in his eyes. He picked the book up and looked at the cover. HOW TO BE A VILLAIN was written in English on the cover. The pink haired man sighed. Why did his lover like to provoke his sister?

"What's wrong, nee-san? Don't like your book?" the blonde deadpanned. "You like to read in English, and the book was just screaming 'Mika.'"

Deciding that a distraction was needed if he was going to still have a living lover at the end of the night, Shuichi desperately called, "You still have one present left, Mika-san."

Growling at her brother, Mika picked up the last present. It was wrapped in bright pink wrapping paper, and her name was written on it in what appeared to be crayon. Rolling her eyes, Mika prepared herself for another stupid present from her younger brother's boyfriend. Ripping off the paper, Mika looked at the present and gasped.

Shuichi had decided that it would be better to get Mika jewelry this year instead of trying to figure out something original. He knew that his lover's sister adored jewelry, and so Shuichi had gone to a jewelry store and bought her a necklace with matching earrings.

"Thank you, Shuichi-kun!" Mika exclaimed. "They're beautiful! Much better than that lame present my brother got me!" The oldest of the Uesugi children crossed the room and gave the pink haired man a hug, all the while glaring at her brother. As she pulled away, she plucked the book from Shuichi's hands and made her way back to the center of the room. "That's all the presents," she announced. "Let's eat!"

The rest of Mika's party went somewhat smoothly. Tatsuha was only shocked 20 times for trying to molest Ryuichi, although, it didn't help that Ryuichi was also trying to molest Tatsuha as well.

At a quarter to nine, Mika and Minako relented and let Shuichi and Eiri go home. They said their goodbyes to everyone, and left. Eiri noticed that Shuichi was strangely happy. When he had asked his lover about it, all the pink haired man had said was, "Go to our concert and you'll understand."  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Shuichi and Hiro were waiting in the wings for Suguru. The lead singer and guitarist were already dressed and waiting for their cue to go onstage, but the synth player had yet to show up.

"I wonder where Fujisaki-kun is," Hiro mused. "He's never late."

The pink haired man only smiled. "He'll be here. He's getting dressed."

Hiro looked at his friend, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer to the question that was floating around in his head. Deciding that it wasn't worth it, Hiro continued to wait.

The opening act was pretty good, for an amateur group. Not something that NG would sign, but the members of BAD LUCK had decided that they would give amateur bands a chance, since no other group did. The opening band, Neverland, finished up their closing number and started to strike their equipment.

Shuichi caught movement on the other side of the stage and smiled. Suguru was ready, waiting for their cue as well. "Fujisaki-kun is entering from the other side of the stage," he informed Hiro. Hiro nodded.

"And now," the announcer's voice boomed, "the band you've all been waiting for… BAD LUCK!"

Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd as the band took the stage. Shuichi burst out laughing as he saw Suguru's costume, while Hiro stared in shock. The noise from the crowd died down as they took in Suguru's attire.

Suguru stood on stage, in front of his synth, studiously ignoring the crowd and Hiro's questioning looks. In that moment, he hated Shuichi Shindou and wished they had never met. Although, he conceded, if they hadn't met, he'd have never met Maiko.

The synth player pictured Maiko's face and stubbornly held it there._ This is all for Maiko,_ he thought.

Shuichi grabbed the mic and addressed the audience. "Thank you all for coming out here tonight! We all really appreciate it! As you've all probably noticed, Fujisaki-kun is wearing a giant condom costume, but it's not for fun." _Well, _Shuichi thought, _for him it isn't…_ "It's because it's been brought to our attention that too many young teens are practicing safe sex. So, BAD LUCK is promoting safe sex!" A loud cheer erupted from the crowd and Shuichi smiled.

Suguru gritted his teeth and stepped away from his synth. The condom costume that he wore had a bunch of pockets and they were full of condoms. Making his way to the microphone, he spoke, "So, BAD LUCK is giving away condoms with our band name on them. There are also special condoms that have our names and…" Suguru paused. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. "Our faces." Closing his eyes, he plunged his hands into his pockets and began throwing condoms to the crowd.

Hiro looked between Suguru and Shuichi. He hadn't known anything about this, and now there were condoms out there that had his picture on it? _What the hell are those two smoking?_ he thought incredulously.

The crowd went crazy diving after condoms. Shuichi smiled while Suguru glared. Signaling to his band mates that they should start playing, Hiro picked up his guitar and Suguru returned to his synth. Shuichi picked up the mic and spoke into it. "We hope you put those condoms to good use!" There was cheering. "Well, let's get on with the show! WE ARE BAD LUCK!"

With that, the music started up, and all three men onstage lost themselves to the music.  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Shuichi made his way back to his dressing room after the concert and was only vaguely surprised to find Maiko waiting for him. "Ohayo, Maiko-chan," he greeted.

"Don't 'ohayo' me, aniki," she replied scathingly. "I can't believe you made Suguru-kun do that!"

The vocalist smirked. "Well, he needed to learn that if he's not going to listen to me, as well as not practice safe sex, then there are consequences. Besides," he continued nonchalantly. "It's not as bad as some of the other ideas I had."

Maiko glared at her brother before turning and leaving, muttering about insensitive brothers and minding their own business.

"I love you, too, Maiko-chan," he called.

"I thought I was the only one you loved," came a dry voice from the door.

Shuichi didn't even bother to turn. "You're the only one I love that's not family or Hiro," he replied automatically.

Hands wrapped around the pink haired singer's waist. "So," the blonde whispered in his ear. "You love Hiro? Do you love him more than me?"

Shuichi relaxed in his lover's arms. "You know I love you more, Eiri Uesugi."

The novelist kissed his lover on the cheek before replying, "Good."

The pink haired man turned around, properly embracing his lover. "So, did you like the show?"

Eiri scowled. "I don't like the idea of people having condoms with your picture on them." The blonde held up five condoms. "And I don't even get any of them. I get the BAD LUCK one, two Hiros, and two Fujisakis." Eiri pouted.

Shuichi laughed. "Don't worry," he consoled. "No one got a Shuichi condom. I kept them all…"

Eiri smiled. "Well, in that case, it was a great show, Shu-chan."

The pink haired man gave his lover a gentle kiss before disentangling himself from the embrace. "I'm tired. Let's go home, Eiri."

Taking the younger man's hand, the blonde led him out of the dressing room and outside of the auditorium. Within minutes, they were on their way home.

:end:

AN: It's done! Thanks to everyone whose reviewed. I appreciate the support! I hope you all enjoyed it! In case anyone was curious, Mika's book is real. :grin: If you want more info, e-mail me. Also, if you want the lemon scene from this chapter, and/or you didn't recieve the lemon from the second chapter, lemme know. If you put your e-mail address in the review (hint hint) then space it out. tends to cut out the server. :pout: Do it so it looks like this: Ballasunshine15 aol . com

Plushie-chan: I agree. We need more fluff. :grin: They did survive, huh? But then they have Mika's party... :grin: I hope you enjoyed reading! I 3 Plushie-chan::hugs:

Bitter Green Tea: Here is the next chapter! And Mika's party wasn't that bad... Tee hee hee! Thanks for reviewing::hugs:

Swift Silver: Hmm... Maybe I should write a story that is about a day in the life of the Shindous... Hmm... :grin: Thank you for reviewing. I always love reading your reviews... And I think insanity is hereditary on Shu's mom's side... It would explain everything... LOL :hugs:

Nari-chan: Updated. :grin: I'm glad you're enjoying::hugs:

Flame-chan: Next chapter is up! Yay::grin: Thanks for the reviews::hugs:

I Love Athrun: Thanks! And the new chapter is up::grin::hugs:

Ichi-chan: You still alive::grin: Here's the new (and final) chapter! I hope you enjoy! And, yes... Punishment... :grin::hugs:

Yazzy: I LOVE YAZZY! You read everything I write! Yes, Eiri is naughty. Very naughty. :grin: OOOH! Star Wars! I saw that twice already! It was awesome, huh::grin: Thanks for all the great reviews, Yazzy::hugs:

JasLine: I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were reading my thoughts... Well, you know what they say, huh? 'Great minds think alike.' :grin: Thanks for the great reviews, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter::hugs:

Lemur130: It's true, the story is done... But never fear! I have more things to write::grin: Thanks for reading and I hope you like the last chapter::hugs:

Yayo: You don't have to wait anymore::grin: I thought Shu singing was cute. Glad you enjoyed::hugs:

Saint Germain: I don't have inlaws, but I always hear complaints about them. :shrug: You don't have to wait for the final chapter anymore... It's here! Thanks for reading::hugs:

Giddy With Laughter::blushes: I've never had anyone bow to me... Kinda... Cool. :grin: Glad you enjoyed it::hugs:

Little Fox Kit: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you are enjoying this... Actually, Eiri and Shu were sitting next to each other... :shrug: Glad you are enjoying this so far::hugs:

Aacire: Glad you're enjoying the story! And there is a such thing as a long chapter if you're the one writing it. :grin: Otherwise, you're right. LOL :hugs:

Hoshi-Hiru: It can be over and it is! LOL I'm not done writing though, so who knows? Maybe I'll come back to play with this story::hugs:

Wendyghost::hugs: I 3 Wendyghost! Thanks for reviewing and reading all my stories::grin: I hope you enjoy thelast chapter! Mika and Minako is a deadly combo, huh?

Morbid Flower: I like the baby book, too. :grin: Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter::hugs:

Eiri Yuki Lover: Mika's party wasn't so bad, right? I feel sorrier for Suguru than I do for Eiri and Shu... LOL Anyway, glad you enjoyed::grin: Thanks for reviewing::hugs:

PLS: That was mean to trick Shu... I agree... But, it had to be done. Mostly for my entertainment. :grin: Hope you enjoy the last chapter and thank you so much for reviewing::hugs:


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